Electric Triumph TE-1 Motorcycle Revealed
The highly-anticipated, Williams Advanced Engineering-developed, Triumph TE-1 electric motorcycle prototype was finally revealed earlier today, with the completed demonstrator now fully ready for live testing and final styling from the Triumph motorcycles team.
Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) is perhaps best known as the electrically-focused skunkworks of the famous Formula 1 racing team of the same name. This collaboration, between Triumph Motorcycles and WAE, was set up to create “ground-breaking developments in specialist electric motorcycle engineering” and capitalize on the lessons Williams has learned in the development of the advanced Li-ion batteries used in the Formula E all-electric racing series. Those have led to the development of the all-new, “next-generation lightweight battery” and electric powertrain found in the TE-1, which Williams claims “raises the bar for electric bike performance, efficiency and range.”
That powertrain was a product of collaboration with a company called Integral Powertrain. It features a revolutionary inverter concept, which is also scalable by tuning the number of Silicon-Carbide power stages for different diameter motors, that is capable of more 500kW (670 hp!) on the Triumph TE-1 — though that will be battery-limited to a much more sane 130kW of peak power and 80kW of continuous power. “This gives us the opportunity to optimize this platform for production,” reads the WAE press release.
For their part, the Williams people seem equally excited to be involved in such a highly visible project. “Following an extended period of testing, we are thrilled to finally see the results of our work on a physical bike. By working with the team at Triumph, we have continued to push the boundaries of battery technology, keeping the rider in mind at all times,” said Dyrr Ardash, Head of Strategic Partnerships, Williams Advanced Engineering. “We have designed the battery from the ground-up, design has not been compromised and we have been able to push the boundaries of current technology, offering both performance and all important, range.”
Electric Triumph: Who did what?
A project like this, of course, is never just about one or two groups of people getting involved, and the TE-1 is no different. In addition to Triumph and WAE, Integral Powertrain was also involved, as well as researchers at the University of Warwick in the UK, who helped in the computer-aided design and simulation testing. As a breakdown of who did what, this was provided in an earlier Triumph press release:
- Triumph: final chassis, including frame, rear sub-frame, cockpit, panels and wheels, final drive system including transmission and Gates Carbon belt drive, electronics, Öhlins USD cartridge forks, unique prototype Öhlins RSU, Brembo M50 monobloc calipers, and Triumph motorcycle control software
- Williams Advanced Engineering: final iteration of prototype WAE battery pack incorporating dedicated cell packaging for optimum center of gravity, vehicle control unit, DC-DC converter, integrated cooling, charge port, and styled carbon covers
- Integral Powertrain: final prototype powertrain – capable of up to 500 kW (approx. 670 hp) of maximum output! – with scalable integrated inverter and combined motor with silicon carbide switching technology and integrated cooling
- WMG, University of Warwick: final pre-live trial simulation completed, with all results indicating that the project is on course to deliver the intended performance and durability outcomes
“It has been truly exciting to see the progress made during phase 3 of Project Triumph TE‑1 with the final prototype motorcycle now going into real life testing. Everyone involved at Triumph is proud to have been part of this innovative British collaboration. Personally, I am thrilled with the results we have already achieved with our partners, and the exciting preview of the potential electric future to come,” said Nick Bloor, Triumph CEO. “We look forward to continuing the ambitious and innovative work on the TE-1 demonstrator prototype through the live testing phase and sharing the outcome with Triumph fans across the world.”
For its part, Triumph has created an electric motorcycle that looks, well, like a motorcycle. Not just that, but a good-looking, narrow, and aggressively street-fightery motorcycle. Pull it alongside a Speed Triple or Tiger at your local bike night, and it won’t draw any untoward attention from the “loud pipes save lives” crowd. In fact, if you were going to level any criticism at the TE-1’s styling, it might be that it doesn’t look electric enough to set the bike’s looks apart from the ICE pack.
The next phase of the electric Triumph TE-1’s development will focus on live testing, and they’ll be looking for results that exceed current benchmarks and targets set by the UK Automotive Council for 2025, of course, but also provide a platform with great potential for the development of future high-performance Triumph motorcycles.
Source | Images: Williams Advanced Engineering.
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