Ireland to debut hybrid-electric double decker

Yet again, Ireland is ahead of the UK in choosing the eco-friendly option.

Dubliners travelling on route 16 from next week may find themselves sitting on Ireland’s first ever hybrid-electric bus, the likes of which have never been spotted in a UK city.

The double decker, built in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, contains a 2.4 litre diesel engine - more than two-thirds smaller than a standard bus engine.

The diesel power is supplemented by a Siemens hybrid-electric drive system which runs on Lithium ion batteries.

Fuel consumption and carbon emissions are both one third less than from a standard bus.

Carbon monoxide emissions are reduced by 97.6%, and hydrocarbon emissions by 76.5%.

In addition, the eco-bus will be half as noisy as its diesel-only cousins.

The three-year pilot is being funded by the government’s Transport 21 investment programme, and is part of a commitment by Dublin Bus to become more environmentally friendly.