Irish Examiner view: Public transport bus fleet going electric

A tender for up to 800, battery-powered, double-decker buses was published by the Government on Monday 

Minister of State, Hildegarde Naughton TD at the NTA launch of 100 hybrid buses for Dublin and Galway city services earlier this month. Picture: 

It is sometimes difficult to distinguish between fashion and progress. One is real the other can be a kind of virtue signalling. 

The move away from carbon-fuelled transport is well advanced and gathers momentum by the month even if many issues around electric vehicles remain unresolved. 

That momentum gathered pace yesterday when a tender for up to 800, battery-powered, double-decker buses was published by Government.

The request follows a July tender which sought up to 600 double-decker, hybrid buses. The latter's framework agreement anticipates that the first buses will be available for service in the second half of 2022.

Whether the slump in electric carmaker Tesla shares on their on the S&P 500 debut yesterday reflect concerns on electric vehicles or the pandemic is unknown. 

Tesla’s shares sank 5% to €540.20 pulling back a fraction of the 70%  surge they enjoyed since the S&P step was announced.