Triumph TE-1 project will debut the British brand in electric motorcycle segment

Aditya Chatterjee Published: May 16, 2019, 11:28 AM IST

Earlier this month, we told you about the 2019 Triumph Rocket 3 TFC that happens to have the largest engine on a production motorcycle. And now the British premium motorcycle brand has announced a project called TE-1 which is a collaboration between Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain Ltd's e-drive division, WMG at the University of Warwick and Innovate UK. This project that will be conducted for a period of two years will develop electric motorcycles as well as integrated solution for lightweight electric powertrains that we believe will be develop electric alternatives to Triumph's present line-up of motorcycles. The TE-1 project will be supported and co-funded by the UK government's Department of Business, Energy and Industrial strategy.

"This new collaboration represents an exciting opportunity for Triumph and its partners to be leaders in the technology that will enable the electrification of motorcycles, which is driven by customers striving to reduce their environmental impact, combined with the desire for more economical transportation, and changing legislation. Project Triumph TE-1 is one part of our electric motorcycle strategy, focused on delivering what riders want and expect from their Triumph, which is the perfect balance of handling, performance and usability." commented, Triumph CEO Nick Bloor.

For the TE-1 project, Triumph Motorcycles will lead the design, provide chassis design, engineering expertise and will also manufacture whereas Williams Advanced Engineering who are known for their F1 history will provide lightweight battery design and integration capability. The firm will develop battery management solution with vehicle control unit. Integral powertrain will be working on the electric motors and silicon carbide inverter, which will be supplied as one combine unit. WMG will be contributing with their electrification expertise, R&D, commercial impact through modelling and simulation based on the market requirements in the future. Innovate UK will be funding the project, which is part of the UK Government.

This project will be run in four phases wherein powertrain integration will play a major role. This will be done by individually developing components for the electric powertrains and then optimizing them for form combined units. The aim of the project is to develop less complex and lightweight powertrains, which we believe will make it flexible and also offer more riding range. Triumph Motorcycles along with the partner organisations will work in the packaging and safety of batteries, optimum electric motor sizing and packaging, the integration of braking systems including regenerative braking, and advanced safety systems. The innovation and capabilities developed in these areas will input into Triumph's future electric motorcycle strategy.

Steve Sargent, Triumph's Chief Product Officer said "Our future product strategy is focused on delivering the most suitable engine platforms for the changing landscape of customer needs, and we see a Triumph electric powertrain as a significant requirement alongside our signature twin and triple cylinder engines. As part of our electric motorcycle initiative, Project Triumph TE-1 represents an exciting collaboration that will provide valuable input into our future line-up.