It may look like a new Speed Triple but if you observe closely, it is in fact an all-new electric motorcycle which Triumph is making with help from Williams Advanced Engineering and Integral Powertrain Limited.
The TE-1 is indeed Triumph’s first electric motorcycle which has been co-developed with Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain Limited and WMG at the University of Warwick. While Triumph provided its expertise in terms of riding dynamics and motorcycle making, the other party supplied the WAE battery pack for the project. The Triumph TE-1 is still in the prototype stage, however, the British motorcycle maker has given a thorough idea of what is to be expected from the production model.
The motor – it has been developed by Integral Powertrain – is combined with an inverter with silicon carbide switching technology and is capable of churning out 500kW which is 670bhp. That number is close to supercar territory, however, the production motorcycle could be limited to 200bhp, and honestly, that is a lot too, given the instantaneous delivery of electric vehicles.
Now, the bits provided by Triumph include the main chassis which houses the inverter, motor and a 15kWh battery pack. The subframe has been designed by the motorcycle maker as well. The power is sent to the rear wheel via a belt drive.
The suspension bits have been sourced from Ohlins which include an upside-down fork set up in the front a monoshock in the rear. The brakes are supplied by Brembo and the motorcycle features M50 Mono-bloc callipers in the front. Triumph has also offered its electronic suit with the TE-1, however, the electronic calibration which suits best for the upcoming motorcycle’s nature is still under development.
While all these goals have been achieved in the phase three, the phase four of development will include; Throttle calibration, Powertrain performance mapping, Power and torque output, Range and battery consumption assessment, Rider mode development, Software functionality validation, and Thermal optimisation.
Additionally, Triumph will conduct track testing of the TE-1 Prototype and apply all its learnings from I.C.E on the upcoming production motorcycle, which is expected by the year 2025.
Finally, the styling, which is a subjective matter, however, it is a good move on Triumph’s part to make the TE-1’s looks adopt Triumph’s ‘Street’ or the ‘Speed’ family. The design is very familiar as we’re now used to seeing Triumph motorcycle follow the bug-eye fascia. The body panels and a clean tail section hark back to the modern-day Triumph Street Triple/Speed Triple. More importantly, the motorcycle features a single-sided swingarm, which is mainly reserved for exotic motorcycles.
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