Triumph TE-1 prototype: up-close with one-off performance concept

The engineering teams concentrated on designing a motorcycle that was as light as possible and at 220kg, the final result comes in at 25% lighter than some competitors. In comparison, the Speed Triple weighs 199kg with fuel and fluids, while some less performance orientated bikes of similar size and capacity tip the scales at a lot more. Part of the success in paring down the weight of the TE-1 is possibly due to the fact that its overall size is closer to that of the Speed Triple’s smaller sister, the Street Triple. 

Not surprisingly, battery development formed a key part of the programme to maximise energy capacity and range in the small confines of a motorcycle package. Williams’ experience in F1 and Formula E, where it had to achieve extremely high levels of both power and energy density as well as reliability, paid dividends in the project. Williams claims that in four seasons its Formula E batteries covered 240,000 miles in the equivalent of 1,000 cars with only two on-track failures. 

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The battery has a capacity of 15kWh, produces 370-volts and while 15kWh may not sound like much, it’s more than 25% of the average electric car battery squeezed into a tiny space. Designing a battery for two-wheels rather than four was a unique challenge for Williams, Sargent continues.

“The shape of the battery has to be such that you can lean the bike to a reasonable angle, so within the battery are eight modules and they are slightly different sizes to fit into the motorcycle, get the centre of gravity in the right place and avoid the battery pack going into the ground plane when the bike is leaned over.”

“We’ve learned a lot about doing simulation work on the performance of EVs and getting that balance between battery size, motor size and performance,” Sargent continues.

“Heat management has been absolutely essential to maintain performance and range. “There are two separate cooling circuits, one for the battery with two individual radiators, two fans and a coolant pump and there’s a separate cooling circuit for the motor and inverter with its own separate radiator.” 

Otherwise, Williams was in familiar territory with the lithium ion battery chemistry which is nickel manganese cobalt (NMC), as used in its Formula E batteries and which is also popular with manufacturers of anything from from power tools to powertrains. The eight modules are made up using Samsung 2170 cylindrical cells, each one resembling an overgrown AA battery. The power pack is a stressed member of the motorcycle structure, the aim being to bring the stiffness of the chassis close to that of the Speed Triple.