Triumph has announced plans to develop electric motorcycle technology over the next two years as part of Project Triumph TE-1. It will be a collaborative effort, with input from Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain Ltd.’s e-Drive division, and the University of Warwick.

“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,” Triumph CEO Nick Bloor said in a company release. “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.”

The project is also supported and co-funded by the UK’s Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy as well as the Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) by way of Innovate UK, an agency in the UK dedicated to advancing technological innovation.

The objectives of Project Triumph TE-1 are to develop new individual components that are lighter weight, less complex, and easier to package in a motorcycle.

Triumph will lead the project and will be developing the chassis and defining the drivetrain power characteristics. Williams Advanced Engineering will develop the battery design and its integration into a bike, while Integral Powertrain will be responsible for the development of the motor. WMG (Warwick Manufacturing Group) at the University of Warwick will provide input for R&D, and Innovate UK will support the partnerships and administer funds for the project.

“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. “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.”

Added David Greenwood, professor of Advanced Propulsion Systems at WMG, University of Warwick, “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.”

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 lineup. 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 endeavor that ultimately is focused on the future prosperity of British industry, and the future of motorcycling.”