KleanDrive, a leader in the electric conversion of heavy vehicles, today announced a strategic alliance with leading bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis to deploy electric repowering solutions for its diesel buses in use today.
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 sector leading, 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, whilst radically reducing emissions and operating costs.
KleanDrive CEO, Joe Tighe sees this as a great solution for operators and the environment: “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.”
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.
Chris Gall, Engineering Director at Alexander Dennis is looking forward to the new partnership: “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.
Adopting 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 324 kWh (352 kWh gross), enabling a class-leading 195 miles of driving range at 50% passenger occupancy.
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.
