British motorcycle company Triumph has tapped into Formula 1 team Williams‘ sister Advanced Engineering division to co-develop its new TE-1 electric bike.
While the vehicle won’t directly be a production model fans can purchase, the TE-1 marks the company’s venture into lightweight electric powertrains in order to develop more powerful and sustainable motorcycles in the future. Williams has managed to equip the bike with a 15 kWh battery that pushes a peak output of 170 kW, equivalent to roughly 228 horsepower, with a continuous output of 130 kW, or around 174 horsepower. Unlike conventional motorcycles, the power is then delivered through the rear wheel with a toothed belt instead of a chain.
Utilizing 360-volt electrics, the TE-1 can charge from zero to 80% in just under 10 minutes, and Williams claims that the newly developed powertrain will be “market-leading” across power, efficiency, and range. With development now complete from the WAE team, Triumph will begin prototype testing the bike with rolling road and track tests for around six months before fitting the vehicle with its full bodywork.
Elsewhere in the automotive world, DS Automobiles has equipped its E-TENSE PERFORMANCE with a powertrain derived from Formula E.