Nick Bloor, Triumph CEO wants electric motorcycles. Project Triumph TE-1, a 2-year project focused on developing electric motorcycle capabilities and providing input into Triumph’s future electric motorcycle strategy. Triumph Motorcycles, Williams Grand Prix Engineering, Integral Powertrain and University of Warwick will collaborate focusing on delivering what riders want and expect from Triumph; the perfect balance of handling, performance, usability. The future of Triumph is electric.
CREATING UK ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE CAPABILITY
Triumph Motorcycles announces a unique collaboration with UK industry experts, academic leaders and Innovate UK, to develop specialist electric motorcycle technology and innovative integrated solutions. This two-year project, in partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain Ltd, and WMG at the University of Warwick, will provide significant input into potential electric motorcycle offerings from Triumph.
- A unique collaboration between four major UK industry and academic leaders –
Triumph Motorcycles, Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain Ltd.’s e-Drive Division, and WMG at the University of Warwick
- Supported and co-funded by the UK government’s Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) via Innovate UK
- A two-year project focused on developing electric motorcycle capabilities, providing an input into Triumph’s future electric motorcycle strategy
- Driving innovation, capability and new intellectual property, enhancing the credibility and profile of British industry and design
This new collaboration will combine Triumph’s world-renowned motorcycle expertise with advanced automotive-based capabilities to generate technological innovation for future electric motorcycles.
“This new collaboration represents an exciting opportunity for Triumph and its partners to be leaders in the technology that will enable the electrification of motorcycles, which 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. “Project Triumph TE-1 is one part of our electric motorcycle strategy, focused on delivering what riders want and expect from their Triumph, which is the perfect balance of handling, performance and usability.”
A unique collaboration between industry experts, academic leaders and Innovate UK
Project Triumph TE-1 now represents a ground-breaking collaboration between Triumph Motorcycles and the UK’s electrification experts, each of whom will create innovations in their own areas:
- Triumph Motorcycles will lead the project, providing advanced motorcycle chassis design and engineering expertise, manufacturing excellence and pioneering functional safety systems, as well as defining electric drivetrain power delivery characteristics.
- Williams Advanced Engineering will provide industry-leading lightweight battery design and integration capability, using its test and development facilities to deliver an innovative battery management system combined with a vehicle control unit.
- Integral Powertrain Ltd.’s e-Drive Division will lead the development of bespoke power-dense electric motors and a silicon carbide inverter, integrating both into a singular motor housing.
- WMG at the University of Warwick will provide electrification expertise and the critical vision to drive innovation from R&D to commercial impact, through modeling and simulation based on future market needs.
- Innovate UK, the government agency that promotes science and technology programs expected to grow the UK economy, will support the partners and administer funds. This forms part of the BEIS modern funding strategy with the aim of creating a market-leading UK electric vehicle capability.
A two-year project focused on developing technical innovation and advanced electric motorcycle capabilities
The project will be organized into four main phases, with one of its key aims being increased systems integration. By developing individual components of automotive-based electric drivetrains and optimizing them into innovative combined units, the project aims to deliver sophisticated electric motorcycle systems which reduce mass, complexity and package requirements.
Triumph Motorcycles will work alongside the partner organizations to accelerate joint expertise in the packaging and safety of batteries, optimum electric motor sizing and packaging, the integration of braking systems including regenerative braking, and advanced safety systems. The innovation and capabilities developed in these areas will input into Triumph’s future electric motorcycle strategy.
The Project Triumph TE-1 partnership, with the support of Innovate UK, is focused on facilitating the
creation of:
- Electric motorcycle capability that meets the needs of customers seeking lower environmental impact transportation, delivering against the UK’s focus on reducing emissions.
- Strong, commercially viable and sustainable partnerships with UK industry manufacturers
and supply chains. - Expertise and capability within the UK workforce, creating jobs and a talent base that both ensures sustainable employment and drives the UK’s reputation and influence on the world stage.
“The team at Williams Advanced Engineering is looking forward to applying our expertise in the electrification of transport with our partners,” said Craig Wilson, Managing Director of Williams Advanced Engineering. “Williams has powered a number of world-renowned electric vehicles already and this will be a significant further step in our work by taking that knowledge onto two wheels.”
“Integral Powertrain has always pushed the boundaries of e-drive technology working with clients to find the best solution to meet their exact requirements,” said Andrew Cross, Chief Technical Officer at Integral Powertrain Ltd. “This project will draw upon the extensive motor and EV experience gained over the past 20 years working with major OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers in the automotive and motorsport sectors. We are extremely pleased to be supporting Triumph Motorcycles with their future electrification strategy and in a project where we can apply our experience to engineer an extremely power dense, efficient and highly integrated motorcycle electric drive.”
“Electric motorcycles will have a vital role to play in future transport across the globe – delivering reduced congestion and improved urban air quality as well as easing parking. They will also be great to ride, with copious, easily controlled torque delivered smoothly at all road speeds. WMG has experience of battery technology and vehicle electrification for road, rail, sea and air which it will bring to this exciting sector. Our expert team will lead the modeling and simulation work within the project, to ensure the vehicles are safe and efficient without compromise to dynamic performance.” Professor David Greenwood, Professor, Advanced Propulsion Systems at WMG, University of Warwick.
Steve Sargent, Triumph’s Chief Product Officer said “Our future product strategy is focused on delivering the most suitable engine platforms for the changing landscape of customer needs, and we see a Triumph electric powertrain as a significant requirement alongside our signature twin and triple cylinder engines. As part of our electric motorcycle initiative, Project Triumph TE-1 represents an exciting collaboration that will provide valuable input into our future line-up. We are incredibly pleased to have the support of OLEV and Innovate UK, and to be working together with the UK’s electrification experts and academic leaders, in an endeavour that ultimately is focused on the future prosperity of British industry, and the future of motorcycling.”
About Triumph
- First established in 1902, Triumph Motorcycles celebrated 110 years of motorcycle manufacture in 2012. For more than two decades, Triumph Motorcycles has been based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and has produced iconic bikes that perfectly blend authentic design, character, charisma and performance.
- Building around 65,000 bikes per year, Triumph is the largest British motorcycle manufacturer and has around 620 dealers across the world.
- This focus, innovation and engineering passion has today created a broad range of bikes suited to all motorcycle riders, including the iconic new Scrambler 1200, epic Speed Triple, the game changing all new Street Triple 765, the class defining Tiger 800, transcontinental Tiger 1200, iconic Triumph Bonneville family including the stunning Speed Twin, Bonneville Bobber, legendary Thruxton, accessible Street Twin, Street Scrambler and iconic Bonneville T120 and T100, plus an exciting and accessible A2 range of Triumph motorcycles.
- Triumph currently employs around 2,000 personnel worldwide and has subsidiary operations in the UK, North America, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Japan, Sweden (Scandinavia), Benelux, Brazil, India and Thailand as well as a network of independent distributors. Triumph has manufacturing facilities in Hinckley, Leicestershire, and Thailand plus CKD facilities in Brazil and India.
- The Triumph Bonneville, famously named to celebrate Triumph’s 1956 land speed record on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA, was the original British superbike and a race-winner straight out of the crate, chosen by famous motorcyclists of the past for its legendary handling, style, and character. It’s that handling, character and style, married to modern rider-focused technology that makes the new Bonneville family THE authentic modern classic choice today.
- Triumph has a glorious racing history, competing in and winning races in almost every class and field of motorcycle sporting achievement. From winning the second ever Isle of Man TT in 1908, through to 1960s road and track domination in Europe and America, right up to contemporary racing achievements with the 675cc Triumph triple powered 2014 Daytona 200 win, the 2014 Isle of Man Supersports TT, 2014 and 2015 British Supersports titles and World SuperSport racing. And now with the new generation of 765cc triple engine powering the 2019 Moto2™ championship, Triumph’s racing legend continues.
- The Triumph Moto2™ 765cc race engine is a development of the class-leading Street Triple RS 765cc road motorcycle and is producing more than 140PS and the same visceral soundtrack.
About Williams Advanced Engineering
Williams Advanced Engineering Limited operates a technology and engineering services business and is part of the Williams Group.
In 2010, Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited began diversifying its operations, leading to the establishment of the Williams Advanced Engineering division, which has now become Williams Advanced Engineering Limited. Combining cutting edge technology and the industry’s best engineers with precision and speed to market derived from four decades of success in the ultra-competitive environment of Formula One, Williams Advanced Engineering provides world class technical innovation, engineering, testing, manufacturing and operational consultancy services across industry.
Working in close collaboration with its customers and partners, Williams Advanced Engineering helps meet the sustainability and technology challenges of the 21st century and improve performance, with its expertise in aerodynamics and thermodynamics, electrification, advanced lightweight materials, simulation and vehicle integration. The company also supports the growth of early stage technology businesses in the UK with investment from the Foresight Williams Technology EIS Fund. The company was honored with the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Innovation 2018.
About Integral Powertrain Ltd
Integral Powertrain Ltd (IP) is a global engineering business that, for the past 20 years has been continuously developing next generation technologies as part of the move towards a more sustainable way of powering vehicles. Working closely with prestigious manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers, Integral Powertrain Ltd’s engineers create innovative, complex and market leading powertrain and e-Drive solutions used for a wide range of applications in motorsport, passenger and off-highway vehicles, as well as aerospace, marine and industrial equipment.
The multiple award winning, record breaking company operates three divisions; Integral e-Drive, Integral Powertrain and Integral e-Hub employing over 175 people at its Milton Keynes Engineering and Emissions Centres. The company was honored with many awards in 2018, including the prestigious Royal Automobile Club’s Dewar Trophy.
About WMG, University of Warwick
WMG is a world leading research and education group transforming organisations and driving innovation through a unique combination of collaborative research and development, and pioneering education programs.
As an international role model for successful partnerships between academia and the private and public sectors, WMG develops advancements nationally and globally in applied science, technology and engineering to deliver real impact to economic growth, society and the environment.
WMG’s education programs focus on lifelong learning of the brightest talent, from the WMG Academies for Young Engineers, degree apprenticeships, undergraduate and postgraduate, through to professional programs.
An academic department of the University of Warwick, and a center for the HVM Catapult, WMG was founded by Professor Lord Kumar Bhattacharyya in 1980 to help reinvigorate UK manufacturing and improve competitiveness through innovation and skills development.
