Europcar Mobility Group has become the first vehicle rental provider at Dublin Airport (DUB) to run an electric airport shuttle bus service. The Renault Master E-Tech 100% electric minibus has a range of 460 kilometres, meaning it can do around 80 return journeys before recharging at the Europcar rental station.
During peak hours, Europcar expects the new electric minibus to do around 24 round trips per day, transporting an average of 10 people each time. With the new 100% electric minibus complementing the rest of the diesel fleet, it expects to save around 18 tonnes of carbon per year, the equivalent of planting more than 800 trees.
Eddie Murphy, Europcar Ireland’s Operations Director, said: “This is an important step in demonstrating to our customers our commitment to reducing our emissions. It is also critical to managing our costs. Now, having seen how well the new EV minibus works at Dublin Airport, we plan to add BEV and PHEV models at other airport locations where we provide a shuttle bus service.”
Ireland’s main climate target is to reduce its total greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 compared to 2018 levels, and to reach net zero emissions by 2050.
Like Europcar, Renault is committed to reducing its own environmental impact and helping its customers to do the same. Renault’s ambition is to design vehicles that limit environmental impact while still looking after the people who make and use them.
Seamus Morgan, Managing Director of Cedar Motors Ltd, said: “We are delighted to be part of Europcar’s sustainability initiative and are extremely proud to introduce the Renault Master E-Tech electric minibus with its innovative design derived from the award-winning Renault Master van. The Renault Master E-Tech electric minibus has a full low floor design and is equipped with the latest generation powertrain and battery, making it an accessible, comfortable and environmentally friendly solution for transporting Europcar customers from the airport terminal to their rental vehicle.”
Image: Europcar
