Electric TE-1 prototype hits Triumph's targets
The Triumph TE-1 prototype isn't heading for production yet, but something very similar could be in showrooms in years to come after the company's electric bike testing programme "proved a resounding success."
Triumph has been unusually open during the development and testing of the TE-1 prototype, providing regular updates from the project's launch, through its design phase and into its testing stage. Now the final results are in, and they show the TE-1 as offering a mix of abilities that would make it a convincing contender compared to the existing Speed Triple.
The numbers speak for themselves. The TE-1's electric motor, developed by Integral Powertrain Ltd, makes a peak of 175 hp, very close to the Speed Triple's output. That figure is backed up by 80 lb-ft of torque, and the bike weighs an impressive 220 kg, which isn't far from the mass of a fully fuelled, petrol-powered equivalent.
'60 mph in 3.6 seconds'
All that would be for nought, if the bike's range was as disappointing as many of the current crop of electric offerings, but the TE-1's 15 kWh capacity battery - made by Williams Advanced Engineering (of F1 fame) from 900 Samsung '21700' (21 mm diameter, 70 mm long) nickel manganese cobalt cells - is good for a range of 100 miles (160 km) under WMTC tests that mirror real-world usage.
Raw performance figures show that the TE-1 hits 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, and the relentless thrust continues, taking it to 100 mph only 2.6 seconds after that. The top speed is 135 mph, but that's down to gearing and the bike's naked styling rather than an inherent limitation of the powertrain.
The motor runs through a set of helical-cut reduction gears to a belt final drive that Triumph claims is reliable for 60,000 miles. Those helical gears also give a distinctive wail as the TE-1 accelerates, answering some fears that electric bikes can only ever be an anodyne experience.
Although the bike doesn't follow the pattern set by electric offerings like LiveWire's new S2 Del Mar, where the battery case doubles as a monocoque chassis, the Triumph's battery is still a structural component, adding rigidity to the conventional-looking frame wrapped around it. The suspension and brakes are conventional kit, along with ABS and a lean-sensitive traction control system. Although the TE-1's motor doubles as a generator during deceleration, with a programmable engine braking effect that alters how much electricity is fed back to the battery and works in cooperation with the anti-lock brakes to maintain stability.
Like the Ducati V21 L electric racing bike, which will be the single-make machine used in the MotoE series from 2023, the TE-1 has separate cooling systems for the motor and the battery and inverter, as their heat requirements for ultimate performance differ. Steve Sargent, Triumph's Chief Product Officer, said: "Heat management is essential to maintaining the performance and range of the bike."
'135 mph top speed'
Comparisons to the Ducati are inevitable, and the Triumph comes out on top, at least on paper. Ducati's V21 L peaks at 150 hp rather than 175 hp and weighs 5 kg more than the TE-1 at 225 kg.
Charging has also been a focus. The TE-1 uses a 50 kW DC fast charge system, with no AC charging option - adding one would be possible but means more electronic equipment and weight. By using the Japanese CHAdeMO charging protocol, battery management during the charge is controlled by the charger rather than on-board electronics, again reducing the need to carry additional electronics. Triumph says it takes just 20 minutes to go from 0% to 80% charge - an industry standard measurement since the last 20% of a battery's charge takes much longer to achieve.
'20 minutes for 0 to 80% charge'
Triumph is keen to point out that the TE-1 is a research project, aimed at garnering intelligence about electric bike design and performance that can be used in future production models. It has also taught Triumph lessons about scalability, so the company knows the motor, cooling and battery requirements for electric bikes across a variety of sizes and performance levels.
The first electric production Triumphs are now under development using the TE-1 design as a lesson, and while the prototype will remain just that, the company has dropped hints that the first showroom electric model will not stray too far from the template it provides.
