Electric conversion of heavy vehicles firm KleanDrive has announced a deal with bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis to deploy electric repowering solutions for its diesel buses.
Through Alexander Dennis’ newly-launched AD Repower brand, the partnership will extend the life of diesel buses already on the road, by replacing the existing diesel engine with KleanDrive’s plug and play electric drivetrain system and control software.
By offering an official repowering solution to its customers, Alexander Dennis can maximise the lifespan of existing bus chassis and bodies, while radically reducing emissions and operating costs, it said.
The first pilot bus is scheduled to be on the road by the end of Q2 2026, with the Enviro400 being the first model in the range to undergo conversion.
KleanDrive CEO, Joe Tighe, said:
“Alexander Dennis buses are renowned for the quality of the body and chassis and by repowering them with an EV drivetrain, we can maximise the lifespan of vehicle, whilst eliminating noxious emissions and slashing running costs and CO2 emissions. By repowering rather than prematurely replacing, we avoid throwing away a perfectly good vehicle and the carbon dioxide that is embedded within that.
“Our solution is a plug and play, modular drivetrain that replaces the existing engine and transmission and interfaces perfectly with the bus controls and instrumentation. It is designed to carry out the conversion at the fleet operator’s premises, which reduces time off the road and empowers the local technicians to carry out maintenance.”
Chris Gall, Engineering Director at Alexander Dennis, said:
“Repowering buses is a smart way to make a big impact on emissions and running costs for our customers with lower capital expenditure. The engineering on the KleanDrive drivetrain is in keeping with our reputation for quality and we have been impressed with how well thought out the design is for easy installation and maintenance.
“We believe that offering new electric buses as well as repowering vehicles already on the road is the quickest route to decarbonisation of our customer’s fleets, whilst delivering cleaner, quieter and smoother journeys for passengers.
“The diesel-powered Enviro400 has for many years been Britain’s most popular double deck bus, and we are delighted to offer this repowering solution to extend the life of these vehicles. AD Repower in partnership with KleanDrive is fully backed by Alexander Dennis and supported through our AD24 service, giving our customers peace of mind.”and promoting sustainable transportation solutions.”
Imags courtesy of Alexander Dennis/KleanDrive
