Final Triumph TE-1 prototype revealed

Triumph Motorcycles has completed its TE-1 electric bike project, with the three-year collaboration between the British manufacturer and a number of key partners resulting in a working battery-electric-powered streetfighter loosely modelled on the brand’s enduring Speed Triple.

But don’t go reaching for your wallet just yet, because while the prototype is a functional machine that boasts some impressive performance stats (more on those in a bit!), Triumph has stressed that this model is not slated for production, instead serving as a test bed to guide the brand’s aspirations in the electric bike sphere.

“While this final TE-1 prototype will not be going into production, I can promise you that the models we do develop will encompass all of the TE-1 project learnings and its exciting, dynamic spirit,” said Miles Perkins, Triumph Motorcycle’s Head of Brand Management, during a press conference detailing the TE-1 project’s fourth and final phase.

“This prototype gives a strong hint towards Triumph’s electric future, with the incredible results it’s achieved already providing crucial insights and capabilities that will ultimately guide our next step.

“Along the way this has more than met the project’s objectives – driving innovation, capability, and new intellectual property – as well as enhancing the credibility and profile of British industry and design, and surpassing all of the current benchmarks and targets.”

The Triumph TE-1 project got underway in May of 2019, and is the result of a collaboration between Triumph, Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain Ltd, and WMG University of Warwick (formerly Warwick Manufacturing Group).

The project received funding support through the British Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles, via its research and innovation agency, Innovate UK.

Triumph has led the collaboration and provided its chassis, engineering, and manufacturing expertise, also contributing on the safety systems front and as well as “defining electric drivetrain power delivery control software and characterisation”.

Williams developed the battery and battery management system, while Integral Powertrain’s e-Drive division developed the electric motor and silicon carbide inverter, both of which are integrated into the one compact 15kg unit.

WMG University of Warwick, meanwhile, provided its electrification expertise, as well as comprehensive modelling and simulation testing.

The completion of the project has resulted in the creation of two prototypes – one test mule and the more refined example pictured here.

Triumph enlisted the help of racer Brandon Paasch, who rode his Triumph Street Triple RS to victory in this year’s Daytona 200, to help develop the TE-1, with the prototype completing testing both on the track and under “closed road conditions”, along with extensive dyno testing.

Related reading:
Triumph's electric motorcycle project enters final stage
Triumph reveals electric future

So what exactly did Triumph achieve with the TE-1 project? Plenty, judging by the machine’s performance stats. Triumph says the bike’s compact 15kg motor/inverter produces peak power of 175hp (130kW) and 109Nm of torque, delivering phenomenal output per kilo. The bike weighs in at 220kg, which Triumph says is up to 25 per cent lighter than existing electric motorcycle models.

By way of comparison, Harley-Davidson’s volume-production LiveWire weighs 251kg and produces a claimed 105hp (76kW) and 117Nm.

Paasch says riding the TE-1 prototype was a thrilling experience.

“The throttle response on the TE-1 is kind of incredible; it’s very torquey and when you first touch the throttle it’s instant power, which is obviously what I love as a motorcycle racer,” he says.

“I got to peg this thing all the way from zero to 100 per cent throttle and it’s unbelievably quick – it pulls like crazy,” he adds.

Triumph says the bike has achieved an official 0-60mph (96.6km/h) standing start test result of 3.6 seconds, also covering 0-100mph (160.9km/h) in 6.2 seconds. Top speed? Triumph says that’s really down to the bike’s gearing, but the TE-1 prototype is limited to 135mph (216km/h).

So the Triumph TE-1 has got plenty of go as it stands, but just how far the needle can be pushed remains to be seen. “With further refinement of the electronics, including the traction control system and front wheel lift control … performance could be enhanced further, harnessing the full torque potential to enable even quicker standing start acceleration,” says the TE-1 team.

The battery, meanwhile, has a rapid charge time of just 20 minutes to go from flat to 80 per cent charge – sufficient to get you through a typical multi-session track day without a problem, says Triumph – while an effective real-world range of 161 kilometres (100 miles), enhanced by regenerative braking, is said to exceed current benchmarks significantly.

Triumph says it applied the same throttle action and torque delivery map of its Speed Triple 1200 RS to the TE-1, resulting in a level of performance “that matches Triumph’s current triple-cylinder internal combustion sports performance motorcycles”.

The company also describes the TE-1 as “a smooth, predictable ride, that is agile and nimble, great in the corners, and with a controllable power that incites confidence and guarantees fun”.

One aspect that is missing from the TE-1, however, is Triumph’s rorty, signature triple-cylinder exhaust note. Instead, the TE-1 produces what the company says is a “pure, unique and characterful new electric-Triumph soundtrack that builds to a hair-raising crescendo”. The note, which can be heard in the accompanying video footage above, has something of Star Wars Tie fighter to it, we think. It will take some getting used to, but it’s anything but dull!

Triumph Motorcycles Chief Product Officer, Steve Sargent, says the Triumph TE-1 project has been a resounding success.

“We’ve already seen an incredibly positive reaction to the TE-1 prototype from motorcyclists all around the world, where many people are telling us that for the first time, they are seeing an electric motorcycle as desirable, and something that they would genuinely want to own,” he says.

“Being the first step in our journey towards developing our future approach to electric powertrain technology, the TE-1 prototype – and the incredible results it has achieved in its intensive testing programme – has provided crucial insights and capabilities that will ultimately guide our future development.

“Of course, the final production motorcycle will not be exactly what you see here today but, rest assured, the models we do develop will encompass all of its learnings and its exciting dynamic spirit.”

Triumph Motorcycles CEO, Nick Bloor, says the brand’s electric future was now shining brighter than ever.

“We’re incredibly proud to be able to share such positive outcomes from the completion of Project Triumph TE 1, where the prototype demonstrator has exceeded many of our initial targets and expectations,” he says.

“Everyone on the team is thrilled with the results we’ve achieved with our partners, and how the outcomes of the project will feed into the electric future to come from Triumph.”

As to when we’ll see these lessons learned translate to a volume-production, road-going reality, that’s still anyone’s guess. Range and charging infrastructure remain a concern, especially in countries like Australia, and this new breed of motorcycle will have to be relatively affordable (comparable to internal combustion engine bikes) to encourage widespread uptake. But the electric transition is gaining pace across all aspects of transportation, and it seems Triumph is setting itself up well to fully capitalise when the time is right.