· HM Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, today experienced Kleanbus’ state-of-the-art technology, which can turn any diesel bus zero emission
· Kleanbus provided a vehicle demonstration to the Lord Lieutenant at its R&D headquarters in Maldon, Essex
· Repowering removes a bus’s existing diesel or hybrid powertrain, replacing it with a brand new fully electric system
· Kleanbus can rapidly turn buses green; repowered vehicles also cost significantly less than a new electric bus, with a third of the operating costs of a diesel bus · Hi-res media imagery: https://bit.ly/Kleanbus_LL · https://kleanbus.com/
December 2022: Kleanbus, a company specialising in bus repowering, which converts any bus from diesel to fully electric quickly and cost-effectively, was delighted to host His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Essex at its facility in Maldon today, demonstrating its revolutionary technology in action.
At Kleanbus’ state-of-the-art 9,000 sq ft facility, HM Lord Lieutenant, Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, along with Vice Lord Lieutenant, Rear Admiral Roy Clare CBE, met with co-founder and CEO, Joe Tighe to discover how repowering – removing the diesel engine or hybrid powertrain from an existing bus and replacing it with a fully electric powertrain – is the fastest and most cost-effective method to transition UK bus fleets to zero-emission.
Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, the first woman to be appointed to the office in the county since it was established in the 1500s, supports Essex business, industry, communities, and environmentalism in her role. This includes the support of the Essex Climate Action Commission, which was established in 2020 by over 30 local councillors, academics, and business figureheads, with the goal to tackle climate change. The commission has devised a roadmap to get Essex to net zero by 2050 by reducing the county’s greenhouse gas emissions by supporting climate-positive initiatives and facilitating collective action across the region.
During the visit, Kleanbus showcased the huge potential of repowering buses – diesel versions currently being one of the biggest polluters on the road – with the HM Lord Lieutenant witnessing a demonstration of a prototype repowered bus driving on the company’s facilities – completely emissions-free.
HM Lord Lieutenant, Mrs Jennifer Tolhurst, commented: “As last year’s report of the Essex Climate Action Commission recognised, public transport has a vital part to play serving communities across the county. Essex-based Kleanbus is accelerating the transition to cleaner systems, helping to improve the air we breathe. Through innovative ideas and technology the team at Kleanbus are showing that any bus can be turned into a green machine quickly and cost-effectively. I have been extremely impressed by what I’ve seen today and wish them every success as they work with partners, aiming to bring their solutions into production.”
Joe Tighe, Co-Founder and CEO of Kleanbus said: “We are thrilled to have hosted His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant, demonstrating our advanced bus repowering solution to such an influential member of our community. Decarbonising transport is one of the greatest
challenges of our time. The support shown today provides even greater validation and momentum to Kleanbus’ mission to make buses cleaner, quieter, and more comfortable.
“There are 35,000 buses on UK roads, 97% of them powered by diesel engines emitting carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and particulates. The potential for bus repowering is huge, and the more awareness we can raise, the faster the transition of this vital transport sector to a clean future will be, while providing lower operating costs for bus fleets.”
Kleanbus’ repower programme can be applied to any bus, from single to double-decker. It consists of a full evaluation of the vehicle, removal of its diesel engine and all associated ICE components, scanning and prototyping of the vehicle’s interior, design of a bespoke platform, installation of a new e-drive, build, full testing process and final certification. Once a bespoke e-drivetrain has been designed and tested it takes less than two weeks to repower an individual bus, getting the vehicle back in service in as little time as possible. What’s more, electric repowered buses from Kleanbus costs significantly less than a new electric bus with a third of the operating costs of diesel buses.
Combining proven and fully warranted electric powertrain components from leading Tier 1 suppliers with Kleanbus’ own integration technology and proprietary software, Kleanbus’ platform system is technology agnostic, nimble and adaptable. This innovative approach means that Kleanbus can take advantage of the very latest 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.
ENDS
Press contact: E: media@kleanbus.com
Images: https://bit.ly/Kleanbus_LL
Editors’ notes:
About Kleanbus
Kleanbus’ unique repower programme provides a fast, affordab
le solution to electrify bus fleets – and one that is and the most environmentally friendly too. The company is committed to using an innovative British engineering expertise, quality locally sourced components and UK-based manufacturing. Its drivetrain has no rare earth elements, and its battery systems are specifically designed for bus system operations. By providing the best available technology with the most reliable supply chain and excellent customer service, Kleanbus is the partner of choice for rapid, low-cost transition to zero emissions.
Kleanbus’ senior team is made up of subject matter experts with a combined eighty years in powertrain development. Led by serial entrepreneur CEO Joe Tighe, other senior members of the team include Chairman, Terry Spall, 135th President of the IMECHE with 25 years’ senior experience at HORIBA MIRA, alongside Rob Gretton, an engineer with over 30 years’ experience working in drivetrain and power systems, and former TfL and GLA air quality specialist Lucy Parkin, who is the company’s first Director of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG).
Underlining its commitment to being a force for good, Kleanbus has also achieved pending B-Corporation® status.
