{"id":298285,"date":"2026-02-12T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/?p=298285"},"modified":"2026-02-13T10:41:49","modified_gmt":"2026-02-13T09:41:49","slug":"revolucion-repotenciadora-como-kleandrive-planea-electrificar-los-autobuses-britanicos-un-subchasis-a-la-vez","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/es\/2026\/02\/12\/repower-revolution-how-kleandrive-plans-to-electrify-britains-buses-one-subframe-at-a-time\/","title":{"rendered":"La revoluci\u00f3n de la repotenciaci\u00f3n: C\u00f3mo KleanDrive planea electrificar los autobuses brit\u00e1nicos subchasis a subchasis"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

When Joe Tighe talks about eliminating diesel, he does so with missionary zeal \u2013 but also with engineering precision. His company KleanDrive (formerly Kleanbus) has already repowered different types of diesel buses, such as the Volvo B5TLS<\/a>, the Optare Solo and the Wrightbus StreetDeck. And that is only the beginning. The next step is to scale across variants of the Alexander Dennis E400 platform<\/a>, in close cooperation with the OEM.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For these conversions, the original engine and transmission of a diesel-powered bus are removed and replaced with a modular electric drivetrain developed by KleanDrive. The rest of the bus remains untouched.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have only got a couple of vehicles on the road and that\u2019s really down to the fact that we\u2019re still early stage and have been developing the software and systems for the vehicles,\u201d says Tighe. \u201cA lot of what we do is software and then validation \u2013 a lot of track validating and getting type certification for the different vehicles.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company is currently entering series contracts. One agreement covers 30 repowered StreetDeck double-deckers (Wrightbus) for FirstGroup, which operates more than 6,000 buses in the UK. FirstGroup is not only a customer but also an investor.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crucially, the repower specialist does not position itself in opposition to OEM activity. Wrightbus, for example, also offers its own repower solutions. The latter launched its re-powering service under the name ‘NewPower’ in 2024<\/a>. Tighe welcomes the competition. \u201cWe operate in the same electrification space as companies like Wrightbus,\u201d he concedes. “We\u2019re complementary to OEMs rather than directly competing in full vehicle manufacturing. We are supportive of anyone doing repowering. The world needs it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So why would someone like FirstGroup choose KleanDrive over the original manufacturer to retrofit its buses? There are a few reasons, as Tighe explains. One: for fleet operators such as FirstGroup, supplier diversity is strategic. \u201cFrom a procurement perspective, having multiple suppliers typically supports competitive pricing and resilience,\u201d says Tighe. And, as mentioned above, FirstGroup is also one of KleanDrive’s investors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another differentiator between KleanDrive and an OEM that offers to repower its old diesel buses to make them electric is brand-agnostic capability. \u201cWe don\u2019t focus on one OEM type. Wrightbus or Alexander Dennis or Volvo. We are able to do them any OEM vehicle required by a fleet operator,\u201d he explains. \u201cThat is helpful for a fleet operator who\u2019s got five, six, seven, eight different types of vehicles in their fleet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

352 kWh LFP and 800 volts: the hardware backbone<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

At the heart of the system is a modular 800-volt drivetrain built around a Voith Electrical Drive System (VEDS) and lithium iron phosphate chemistry. \u201cThe most important and expensive [component] is the battery,\u201d Tighe states. \u201cWe use CATL batteries. The LFP packs are what we focus on. They come with an optional 15-year warranty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The headline configuration offers 352 kWh gross capacity, with 324 kWh usable. \u201cThe depth of discharge we allow could even be deeper than what we programme, but that\u2019s what we recommend,\u201d Tighe notes. In a double-decker application, the result is a range of over 200 miles (about 322 kilometres) \u2013 sufficient for typical UK duty cycles. The choice of LFP is deliberate. \u201cLFP chemistry is widely regarded as having a stronger safety profile in certain operating conditions compared to NMC,\u201d he says. \u201cBefore solid-state and other types of battery systems become ready for the mobility market, we\u2019ll stick with the tried and true CATL batteries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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On the drive side, the company uses magnet-free electric motors supplied by Voith, paired with inverters and power electronics sourced predominantly from Europe and the UK. Thermal management systems are also largely UK-based. \u201cWe do have some other types of Chinese supplier parts, based on quality and value for our fleet operators,\u201d Tighe concedes, \u201cbut those are supporting parts. The core components, outside of batteries, really come from Europe or the UK.\u201d The drivetrain is pre-assembled on a subframe designed to match the original engine bay envelope. Once the diesel engine, fuel system and exhaust are removed, the electric module is installed as a largely self-contained unit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe whole drive system actually fits on a subframe, designed to be plug and play to the legacy vehicle,\u201d says Tighe. \u201cWe prefabricate the whole drive system off the vehicle. The vehicle is lifted up, stripped out and prepared, and then we lower the vehicle down on top of the system. It fits like a hand in glove to the envelope vacated by the previous motor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet the simplicity of the physical installation belies the complexity of integration. \u201cOn the surface, it sounds really easy \u2013 just pull out a diesel motor and stick in an electric motor. That sounds pretty easy, but it\u2019s actually really difficult on a technical level,\u201d Tighe stresses. Brake blending, emergency braking handover from regenerative to friction systems, torque requests, stability control and anti-lock braking integration must all be re-engineered. \u201cThat brake feathering takes quite a bit of design and test to make sure it\u2019s done correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CAN architecture is another hurdle. \u201cUnderstanding what the message requirements are of the legacy vehicle and designing our software to be able to speak the language of the legacy vehicle \u2013 it ends up being quite complex and integrating with legacy vehicle communication systems requires significant engineering effort and validation,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing that needs to be mentioned at this point: KleanDrive assembles the drive system, but the transport operator is in charge of installing it. The subframe is shipped to where the bus is, which in turn also means that there is no need for KleanDrive to set up a huge facility or for companies to ship buses across the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not having to ship buses to us,\u201d Tighe explains. \u201cWe can ship the drive system to where the bus is and upfit it with the local team. That significantly reduces the emissions associated with transporting vehicles to central facilities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless, high-voltage components remain tightly controlled. Depot teams are trained for mechanical upfitting and low-voltage systems, but not for opening HV enclosures. \u201cWe focus on VCU software and working together with best-in-class suppliers rather than building our own batteries, motors, or power electronics. We assemble all the low-voltage systems and connect the high-voltage components with the high-voltage wiring. And we do all the tests,\u201d says Tighe. \u201cWe don\u2019t open the high-voltage boxes or the batteries either. That we only allow the OEMs to do.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repowering costs less than 50% of a new electric bus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Repowering\u2019s strongest argument may be financial. A new battery-electric double-decker in the UK typically costs around \u00a3500,000. \u201cWe aim to be able to repower those vehicles for less than 50% of the value of a new battery electric vehicle, or less in many circumstances,\u201d Tighe says. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The delta of more than \u00a3300,000 per vehicle is only part of the equation. \u201cWe\u2019re also saving the entire vehicle from having to be manufactured in the first place. This preserves much of the embedded carbon in the existing vehicle structure.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n

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The company believes it can extend the operational life of a bus by at least five to ten years. \u201cBecause we\u2019re putting a brand-new drive system and everything is new, when the chassis and structural components are in good condition, performance can be comparable to a new vehicle in many operational respects.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking ahead, Tighe sees two parallel market dynamics. First, many operators are still buying diesel because electric vehicles remain more expensive upfront and depot charging infrastructure is not yet fully rolled out. \u201cIn Europe, a huge number of new diesels are still coming onto the road,\u201d he says. And he is right. The recently published ACEA statistics <\/a>show that only 23.8 per cent of newly registered buses in Europe in 2025 were electric. That is roughly five per cent more than in the previous year, but it also shows that the dominant drive type remains diesel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Second, he expects modular electric drive systems to become standardised across OEMs. \u201cThere\u2019s not a lot of value add in one electric motor system versus another for the OEM,\u201d Tighe argues. \u201cAs long as it\u2019s a reliable motor system and you have robust battery technology, the differences in efficiency are pretty limited.\u201d His thesis: OEMs may increasingly focus on vehicle architecture, autonomy, passenger comfort and software, while sourcing standardised electric drivetrains at scale. Potentoally from KleanDrive. \u201cWe think the economies of scale of being able to supply drive systems to multiple OEMs will become compelling,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond buses, the company is already working on 19-tonne rigid truck conversions with UK logistics operator Welch Group<\/a>, and exploring additional HGV formats, including articulated vehicles. \u201cWe expect rapid electrification across the HGV sector over the coming decade, particularly in urban and regional applications.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the KleanDrive CEO, the company initially also thought about offering conversions that would turn diesel buses and trucks into FCEVs. A thought that they soon disregarded. \u201cBased on current energy prices and infrastructure availability in most markets, hydrogen vehicles remain significantly more expensive to operate than battery-electric alternatives.\u201d The challenges of production, storage and distribution are decisive in his view. \u201cFrom an energy efficiency standpoint, battery-electric systems currently offer higher well-to-wheel efficiency than hydrogen fuel-cell systems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For now, KleanDrive is only active in the UK. But it doesn’t have to stay like that for long. While the priority remains disciplined growth, the company is in discussions across Europe, North America, South America and Asia, but is cautious about overextending. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to live within our means,\u201d Tighe says. \u201cI can see this business really exploding in the next two years, but we don\u2019t want to spread ourselves too thin.\u201d Nevertheless, it is not unlikely that we will soon see KleanDrive-repowered buses outside the UK.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cuando Joe Tighe habla de eliminar el diesel, lo hace con celo misionero, pero tambi\u00e9n con precisi\u00f3n ingenieril. Su empresa KleanDrive (antes Kleanbus) ya ha repotenciado<\/p>","protected":false},"author":29,"featured_media":298291,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13094],"tags":[10799,5955,32466,31632,32322,2158],"class_list":["post-298285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-utility-vehicles","tag-electric-buses","tag-interview","tag-joe-tighe","tag-kleandrive","tag-retrofit","tag-uk"],"acf":{"post_article-format":{"value":"interview","label":"Interview"},"post_categories":[13094],"post_tags":[31632,10799,2158,32322,5955,32466],"post_thumbnail":298291,"post_thumbnail_listing":298300,"post_teaser-text":"As cities tighten zero-emission mandates and operators balance capex against climate targets, repowering may become a bridge technology with unexpected longevity. If Joe Tighe, CEO and co-founder of the British company KleanDrive is right, modular electrification could evolve from a retrofit niche to mainstream drivetrain strategy \u2013 one subframe at a time. We caught up with him to talk about why repowering diesel buses simply makes sense.","post_advert":false,"post_legacy":false,"post_original_image":false,"to_translate":false,"partner-portrait":298128,"partner-name":"Joe Tighe","partner-position":"Co-founder & CEO at KleanDrive","partner-intro":"Joe Tighe is a financial executive and entrepreneur with more than 37 years of experience in commodities trading, derivatives markets, electronic trading systems, and artificial intelligence. In recent years, he has shifted his focus toward sustainability-oriented business ventures. He is the Founder and CEO of KleanDrive, a certified B Corporation that develops electric drive systems for heavy diesel vehicles. The company\u2019s technology is designed to support fleet operators in transitioning to electric drivetrains, with the aim of lowering emissions and reducing operating costs.","partner-link-title":"linkedin.com","partner-link":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/joe-tighe-88a3403\/","is_translated":false,"date_translation":"","post_id_net":"","slug_net":"","post_id_com":"","slug_com":"","post_thumbnail-caption":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/29"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=298285"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":298459,"href":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/298285\/revisions\/298459"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/298291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=298285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=298285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.electrive.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=298285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}