Triumph Motorcycles To Go Electric With TE-1 Project Funded By The UK Government

Triumph Motorcycles is the latest auto maker to embrace the transition to electric drivetrains. The confirmation comes as the British motorcycle manufacturer has announced TE-1, its new project in collaboration with Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain Ltd and WMG at the University of Warwick. To back the project, the UK Government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) have also confirmed funding the initiative.

The announcement does not specify any of the electric motorcycles by the company just yet. Its importance, however, can be measured from the fact that the legacy bike maker has decided to have an electric future for its product portfolio. The motto of the company with the new TE-1 project ¡°is driven by customers striving to reduce their environmental impact, combined with the desire for more economical transportation, and changing legislation" said Nick Bloor, Triumph CEO, in a press release.

(Representative Image: Triumph Motorcycles)

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As for the roles that the associated entities will play, Triumph Motorcycles will lead the TE-1 project by working towards the chassis development and overall motorcycle engineering. Meanwhile, lightweight battery design and the project¡¯s integration capability will be taken care of by Williams Advanced Engineering, a UK based technology and engineering services business that forms a part of the Williams Group. Production of the electric motor to be used in the upcoming Triumph electric motorcycles will be led by Integral Powertrain's e-Drive Division. WMG at the University of Warwick will be helping with the modelling, simulations and the commercialisation of these electric motorcycles.

With the partnerships and the funding confirmed, It is easy to see that Triumph Motorcycles is serious about the project. "We see a Triumph electric powertrain as a significant requirement alongside our signature twin and triple cylinder engines," says Steve Sargent, Triumph's Chief Product Officer.

(Representative Image: Triumph Motorcycles)

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Part of the reason for this is the fact that the TE-1 project will eventually lead to the development of new models. As for the timeline, Triumph says that it will be focusing upon the development of powertrain solutions for the next two years. Production models will follow shortly afterwards.

The move puts Triumph Motorcycles in a growing list of auto makers bringing EV products to their markets. A while back, Harley-Davidson revealed its first electric motorcycle ¡®LiveWire¡¯ as the quickest motorcycle in its portfolio. With more and more newcomers in the industry aiming for EV offerings as well as the legacy majors adopting the ideology, it will not be long till we see a lot of electric motorcycles on offer.