Alexander Dennis is bringing its AD Repower zero-emission bus conversion service in-house following the administration of the specialist engineering company it originally partnered with on the programme.
The manufacturer, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., first announced AD Repower in August 2025. The service is designed to convert existing Alexander Dennis buses from diesel to battery-electric power, allowing operators to extend the operational life of vehicles while reducing emissions.
The original engineering partner subsequently entered administration, with its assets being sold to a new owner. Alexander Dennis has now decided to continue the AD Repower programme as an in-house operation.
As part of the move, seven engineering specialists who worked on the original programme have joined Alexander Dennis. They will be based at the manufacturer’s facility in Harlow, Essex.
The Harlow site includes one of Alexander Dennis’s AD24 Workshops, which will carry out the conversion work on buses participating in the AD Repower programme.
The initial focus will be on double-deck buses from the Enviro400 family in the UK. Alexander Dennis said it will assess demand for conversions of other vehicle types and in additional markets at a later stage.
Jamie Wilson, Head of Concepts & Advanced Engineering at Alexander Dennis, will lead the AD Repower activities.
Wilson said:Bringing AD Repower in-house gives us full control of the engineering development, quality assurance and customer support for our zero-emission conversion programme. The expertise joining our team strengthens our ability to deliver a practical route for operators to extend the life of proven Alexander Dennis vehicles while accelerating their transition to cleaner fleets.
He added that the engineering specialists joining Alexander Dennis would support the company’s aim of providing operators with a route to extend the life of existing vehicles while transitioning their fleets to zero-emission technology.
The decision comes as UK bus operators face the need to reduce fleet emissions while managing the cost and availability of new vehicles. Repowering existing buses can provide an alternative to replacing diesel vehicles with new battery-electric buses, depending on the condition and suitability of the vehicles.
