Kleanbus aims to transition diesel buses to electric

According to the British company, retrofitting is the ideal solution for electrifying bus fleets at lower costs.

To commercially market on a large scale a retrofitting kit to transform a diesel bus into a fully electric vehicle: this is the challenge undertaken by Kleanbus, a company based in the United Kingdom. The project is not yet fully finalized, but it has already made significant progress. The first real-world tests will indeed begin before the end of the year.

Adaptable, Kleanbus’s kit is compatible with a wide range of buses. Specifics vary depending on customer needs. Kleanbus does not provide any estimates for range or expected performance. The company does, however, explain having chosen motors without permanent magnets and therefore without rare earth elements.

Transforming a bus with Kleanbus’s kit involves immobilizing the vehicle for approximately two weeks. The operation is carried out at the company’s facilities, located in eastern England.

According to Kleanbus, retrofitting is the ideal solution to accelerate the transition to electric for bus fleets. It allows operators to quickly have electric buses, at a relatively moderate cost.

Retrofitting, a future solution to have fewer diesel buses?

Retrofitting can be an interesting financial alternative, as it avoids operators investing in costly new electric buses. The operation is not cheap, even though usage savings help amortize at least part of the initial investment.

Retrofitting also requires some concessions regarding performance. Indeed, a vehicle converted to electric late in the game will always be less efficient than a model specifically designed for this type of motorization.

Since a few months, France has been offering a substantial bonus for bus retrofitting. The aid, capped at 40% of the transformation cost, can reach up to €30,000. For heavy goods vehicles, the retrofitting aid peaks at €50,000.

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