Triumph Reveals Electric Prototype Based On The Street Triple Range

Triumph’s Project TE-1 is a collaboration between four of the UK’s major industry and academic leaders

As of now, only the frame, battery, and motor have been revealed in phase two.  Triumph will lead the project with chassis design and engineering expertise. Williams will take care of the battery design and integration capability. Integral Powertrain Ltd will help develop bespoke power-dense electric motors and a silicon carbide inverter.

Triumph, back in May 2019, had revealed its plans of developing electric motorcycles in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrains Ltd e-drive division, and WMG (University of Warwick). The two-year project, codenamed Project TE-1, is now in its second phase, with Triumph having revealed the foundation for building its electric bikes, including the frame, battery, and motor.

The British bike maker will use the Street Triple range as the basis for its future electric motorcycle. And it makes sense. By using the same proven underpinnings, Triumph could ensure that the bike handles just as beautifully as its ICE cousin. 

Williams Advanced Engineering, on the other hand, has used its learnings from Formula E to develop a lightweight and compact battery pack. This, coupled with zero compromises on the bike's range, can help customers get over their range anxiety. The folks from Williams have also taken track days into account through virtual simulation, so it's expected to last an entire track day session. 

Smart solutions like a single ECU (that combines the battery management system with the regular bike functions) ensure space optimisation and cost reduction. Triumph claims it's the first of its kind. 

Integral Powertrain Ltd's electric division consists of the same folks responsible for helping Volkswagen develop the ID R that shattered the Pikes Peak and Goodwood Hill Climb record. Other notable projects include the Lotus Evija and the Aston Martin Valkyrie. So, it’s safe to say these guys know what they are doing.

Integral Powertrain has developed bespoke power-dense electric motors and a silicon carbide inverter, integrating them into a singular lightweight motor housing. While the company hasn't revealed the actual performance numbers yet, it did mention that it was able to extract 150 ponies from a motor that weighed just 10 kilos during the bench tests.

WMG (Warwick) carried out simulations to make sure every element worked together seamlessly. These simulations ensured the powertrain withstood varying battery loads, the frame held each component together, and the battery delivered a decent range.

Accompanying Triumph’s sophisticated electric motorcycle system are a couple of sketches denoting that the upcoming electric bike will resemble the Street Triple and Speed Triple range. So, you could expect the same angry bug-eyed look like that of the typical Triumph design language. We reckon an electric prototype should be ready by late-2021. However, the production model could take another one or two years to hit the market.