Kleanbus has announced a milestone pilot project with major bus operator Lothian to repower and upcycle 18 of its existing open-top mid-life diesel vehicles to electric.
Lothian Buses, based in Edinburgh, Scotland is the largest municipal bus company in the United Kingdom. The partnership with Kleanbus marks a major step forward in the operator’s commitment to sustainability, following the recent publication of its ‘Driving towards Net Zero’ environmental strategy, which outlined Lothian’s objective of a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2035, with repowering playing a key role.
Lothian Buses’ existing fleet replacement programme has seen the removal of around 12,000 tonnes of CO2 from its carbon footprint in a ten-year period and the first phase of the new strategy, from now until end of 2025, is dedicated to fleet investment and infrastructure.
The decision to repower, as well as replace, is a viable option, enabling operators to upcycle their existing fleets, negating the purchase of new, highly expensive electric buses, while also avoiding needless scrappage. Repowering also extends the life of the buses, which can be in operation for many years to come, further repaying their embodied carbon.
The Kleanbus repower programme begins with a full base vehicle evaluation and analysis of operator duty cycles, enabling a conceptual drivetrain to be modelled and validated through simulation. In parallel, the diesel engine and all associated systems are removed. The packaging space is fully CAD scanned and digitised to create a bespoke electric e-drivetrain in a box platform that perfectly fits the engine compartment. Once prototypes are created, they are subjected to a rigorous test and validation programme ahead of certification.
The Volvo B5TL buses that have been identified for the pilot will be repowered using Kleanbus’ advanced modular electric platform featuring an optimised battery size to perfectly suit its duty cycle without overburdening the vehicle with unnecessary weight, which would otherwise waste energy.
Kleanbus’ e-powertrain module (EPM) combines proven components from leading Tier 1 suppliers with Kleanbus’ own integration technology and proprietary software. The innovative solution can convert a bus, whether single or double-decker, from ICE to fully electric quickly and cost-effectively. Kleanbus’ innovative technology agnostic platform approach means it can take advantage of the very latest and best componentry, enabling it to leverage a wide variety of batteries and motors, creating purpose-built e-powertrains tailored exactly to a bus operator’s needs.
Once the e-drivetrain solution has been designed and tested, it takes less than two weeks to repower an individual bus, getting vehicles back in service in as little time as possible.
Kleanbus also provides the complete solution to bus operators, with innovative financing and charging as part of the total package, making it easy to go zero emission. The potential for repowering is huge with lower operating costs for bus operators and accelerating the transition to a clean future.
Source: Kleanbus
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