KleanDrive, a leader in the electric conversion of heavy vehicles, today announces a partnership with haulage, fleet and HGV servicing specialists, Welch Group, to repower Renault D-Series 18-tonne rigid vehicles with a state-of-the art electric vehicle (EV) drivetrain.
Welch’s Transport – Bedford
The KleanDrive electric truck repowering solution is being developed with Welch Group to bring segment-leading usable battery capacity, range, purchase price and operating costs. The partnership comes swiftly after the announcement of a 30 bus EV repowering deal between KleanDrive and First Bus.
KleanDrive will provide state-of-the-art, modular e-drivetrain technology for repowering with Welch Group carrying out the installation and, optionally, the refurbishment of the truck chassis, body and interior. The diesel related components removed are returned to the customer for reuse within the remaining conventional fleet.
Joe Tighe
KleanDrive founder Joe Tighe, commented: “We see this deal as the future of repowering trucks. KleanDrive will provide a world-leading, model-specific modular e-drivetrain, and the body and chassis work carried out by experienced specialists: Welch Group. Our modular, plug-and-play drivetrain can be fitted to the vehicle in a day, alongside other refurbishment work if required. This means the vehicle is off the road for the minimum time, before returning to work on a fleet with lower running costs, zero tailpipe emissions and a quieter, smoother experience for both drivers and passengers.”
The KleanDrive modular drivetrain features best-in-class CATL Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) battery cells and Voith motors in its drivetrain, housed with all power electronics in a unique framework and skid system. KleanDrive’s sector-leading powertrain has a usable battery capacity of up to 352 kWh.
Chris Welch, Managing Director at Welch Group, said: “We’re delighted to work with KleanDrive to convert existing HGVs to electric power and have been impressed with its engineering quality and overall solution. KleanDrive offers a very neat package, making installation and maintenance easier to complete – it is really just two boxes to fit to the chassis and then plug-and-play.
“As one of the first fleets to operate an electric HGV in the UK, this makes total sense for us and we see this as a scaleable solution to decarbonising the sector in the near-term. As a business we can pick up and put down everything from a parcel to a plane, so we understand the usage and duty cycle of HGVs. That’s why we want to offer this practical, sustainable and economically viable solution to our customers.”
Fully modular and scalable, KleanDrive’s plug-and-play system allows the whole drivetrain to be rapidly fitted or removed from where the diesel engine was previously housed, with a layout optimised for efficiency, reliability and ease of routine maintenance, minimising running costs and maximising time on the road. The company develops all of the software to manage the interaction between the original vehicle and the new drivetrain, while operating both with maximum functional safety and efficiency.
KleanDrive is driven by a team of passionate experts and advisors with a combined wealth of over 150 years of experience who are deeply committed to preserving the environment and promoting sustainable transportation solutions.
