Repowering: KleanDrive launches new e-powertrain with CATL battery and Voith motors

KleanDrive is launching a new version of its electric bus repowering solution, adopting CATL-made LFP battery cells and Voith motors. They both go together with all the power electronics in a unique framework and skid system.

KleanDrive powertrain features usable battery capacity of 324 kWh (352 kWh gross): the company claims a 195 miles of driving range at 50% passenger occupancy. KleanDrive also promises “price saving of £300,000 over a new battery electric bus” and “a third of the operating costs of a diesel bus”.

KleanDrive was launched in late 2023 and received, in late 2024, a £1m investment by FirstGroup.

KleanDrive electric powertrain for bus repowering

KleanDrive’s plug-and-play system allows the whole drivetrain to be fitted or removed from where the diesel engine was previously housed. Designed for volume manufacturing offsite, KleanDrive’s powertrain can then be installed in partnership with a fleet operator’s technicians, while all of the software has been developed by KleanDrive to manage the interaction between the original vehicle and the new drivetrain, while operating both with maximum efficiency, the company states.

Joe Tighe, CEO of KleanDrive said: “We have developed a battery cell and motor agnostic drivetrain system, which can rapidly incorporate fully warranted new technologies in this incredibly fast-moving market. By working with industry-leading suppliers – as opposed to developing individual components in-house – we give customers access to the best technology in the class in a system that has been designed to be efficient, easy to service, cost effective and reliable“.