A total of 30 Wrightbus StreetDeck double-deckers in the First Bus fleet are to be repowered from diesel to battery-electric with a KleanDrive system.
The partnership will see First Bus subsidiary Ensignbus carry out driveline work and refurbishment of the bus chassis and interiors at its Purfleet engineering centre.
These buses will feature the latest KleanDrive battery-electric drivetrain which includes 352kWh of batteries that use lithium iron phosphate cells from CATL and which deliver a usable capacity of 324kWh.
A trial vehicle will be converted before the programme rolls out more widely.
First Group, parent company to First Bus, invested £1 million in KleanDrive in 2024, as part of its ongoing programme to repower its diesel bus fleet.
According to KleanDrive, its electric bus repowering solution brings segment-leading usable battery capacity, range, purchase price and operating costs.
Andrew Jarvis, Managing Director (B2B) at First Bus, said the operator is looking to have a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2035.
He added, “We are impressed with KleanDrive’s engineering quality and their overall solution.
“They offer a very neat package, making installation and maintenance easier to complete, which is vital for us to get the converted buses out on the roads, serving our customers in the shortest time possible.
“For us as an operator having a modular drivetrain, enabling the repowering to be done at our premises saves time, money and carbon emissions, while empowering our technicians to work on the vehicle for routine maintenance after conversion.
“We are looking forward to getting the first of these repowered StreetDecks back on the road and serving our customers.”
