Start-up battery-electric bus repower specialist Kleanbus has revealed early details of its modular driveline package for such conversions.
The supplier claims that its “electric driveline in a box” can convert any diesel bus, whether single- or double-deck, to zero-emission. The offering combines what Kleanbus says is proven powertrain components from tier one suppliers with its own integration technology and software, and that conversions can be completed within two weeks once a system has been designed and tested.
Development prototypes are already undergoing evaluation and Kleanbus says it will begin pilot programmes with “key bus fleet operators” in Q4. The supplier has underlined the belief highlighted already by others that repowering of existing buses to zero-emission is the quickest way to transition away from diesel and it says that a repower costs 20% of the cost of a new battery-electric vehicle.
Kleanbus adds that its repower platform is “technology agnostic, nimble and adaptable” and that the supplier can leverage various batteries and motors to create powertrains that are tailored to an operator’s requirements. It claims that operating costs of its repowered battery-electric buses will be around a third of a comparable diesel.
As part of its arrangements with other companies, Kleanbus can also offer various ways in which to fund the repower work, including paying for the vehicle up front and leasing the batteries to paying nothing up front and leasing both. Kleanbus also has relationships with charging providers, and it can thus arrange for associated depot infrastructure work.
Co-Founder and CEO Joe Tighe – who recently advocated the greater adoption of opportunity charging in battery-electric buses – says: “I am delighted to reveal first images of our modular repower platform system, which can be applied to any bus.
“Leveraging the latest in fully warranted and proven components from leading tier ones, this technology agnostic solution enables us to create a flexible ‘e-drivetrain in a box’, integrated into any vehicle via our own proprietary software.
“I am hugely proud of our innovative system, but Kleanbus is more than a technology company. We provide a full one-stop shop to bus operators, with innovative financing and charging as part of the total package, making it easy for them to go zero-emission.”
