Kleanbus says they developed the retrofit solution called Repower alongside Tier I suppliers but leaves these undisclosed. The company also claims to be able to turn any single or double-deck bus into an e-bus at one-fifth of the usual costs.
To do so, they scan and prototype the vehicle’s interior and design a bespoke platform. Once the custom e-drive was developed and tested, it would take less than two weeks to retrofit a bus, so Kleanbus. They will then “purposefully engineer” each retrofit to fit the former diesel engine space, states their website. However, this has yet to happen in real life.
The company also mentions different ways of financing, from paying upfront and battery leasing to leasing both the vehicle and the battery.
The partners listed online comprise Zemo Partnership (formerly the Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership), Advanced Electric Machines (AEM), Goodman Wolfe Consulting for the batteries, and CPT, the trade association for the UK’s bus and coach industry.
“With 9 % of UK buses powered by diesel engines that emit large amounts of carbon, oxides of nitrogen, and particulate matter – and a staggering 35,000 of them on the road – the country faces a major challenge to rapidly decarbonise this vital transport sector and is struggling to move quickly enough,” co-founder Joe Tighe stated. He said their solution was faster and more cost-efficient.
Kleabus website says "we strip out the diesel engine and replace it with an electric one. In reality, this is a complex process, bespoke-designed for each vehicle model, which considers the requirements of the engine, transmission, steering, braking, electrical and other auxiliary systems and even the aesthetics and functionality within the driver’s cab and the passenger area. The dashboard (human machine interface) is also refreshed with advanced, modern technology.
Vehicle chassis and body modifications are kept to a minimum since each retrofit is purposefully engineered to fit the former diesel engine space. As an option, an internal and/or external refurbishment can also be included to modernise the bus.
Effectively, we breathe new life into five to 10 year old buses, making them cleaner and quieter for society, more comfortable for passengers, and more valuable assets for fleet owners." More here
Kleanbus is based in Scarborough and currently seeks crowdfunding.
