Triumph TE-1 Electric Superbike Prototype Revealed

Electric two wheelers are seen by most of us as a cheaper and cleaner way of getting around which also happen to provide additional benefits like instant torque which leads to phenomenal acceleration. This phenomenal acceleration while being a great prospective side benefit of most affordable EVs, isn’t usually the priority of someone in the market for one of these. But what happens when you take the affordability of the vehicle out of the equation and put power, speed, performance and everything else that makes a vehicle exciting at the top of the priority list and then set about making an EV? What do you get then? Well it turns out the Brits have an answer.

 

This is the Triumph TE-1 prototype and it promises to be one of the craziest and most exciting electric bikes to be released yet. This bike is the result of a collaboration between Triumph Motorcycles and Williams Advanced Engineering. This collaboration has a crazy amount of potential since Triumph makes some of the most spectacular motorcycles on the planet and Williams because of their vast experience in the Formula E all electric racing series have learned a lot about the successful development of advanced lithium-ion batteries which is exactly what’s needed for a new ground-breaking electric superbike. This has thus lead to the development of the powertrain as well as lightweight battery unit that will be present in the TE-1. Williams claims that this all new battery unit paired with the powertrain will raise the bar for electric bike performance, efficiency as well as range. The batteries are said to be good for an 80kW continuous output and a 130kW peak output which translates to around 174 mechanical horsepower / BHP at peak performance which puts the performance right up there with existing class leading superbikes including the TE-1’s petrol powered cousin; the furious Speed Triple 1200RS.

 

On the 8th of February 2022 the TE-1 prototype reached phase 3 of its development which included the full reveal of the prototype to the public since earlier during phase 1 and 2 all that was revealed were some 2D renders which were incredibly informative and gave a really concrete idea of what the final form of the bike would look like.

From their usual muscular petrol powered bikes to this TE-1 electric superbike, Triumph has managed to lose none of the motorcycle identity of this product to electrification. It looks like a Triumph motorcycle should look like. It’s muscular in all the right places and has the Triumph brand DNA unmistakably embedded into the design. The signature bug eyed headlights shared with the Speed Triple further cement this bike’s place in the Triumph motorcycle fleet. It would look at home in a Triumph showroom with the rest of the bikes rather than standing out because of its fundamental uniqueness but it has enough distinctive elements to show that this isn’t just any ordinary bike either and I think because of that the TE-1 hits a real sweet spot in the styling department. Leave all that aside and even just looking at this machine you can tell that it is an outright great looking bike.

 

The TE-1’s final prototype is now going into its testing phase which will determine and fine tune its most important characteristics as a Triumph superbike; the riding experience. Being a naked electric bike the TE-1 should offer the best of both worlds in this electric performance segment; everyday usability and comfort as well as focused, aggressive and razor sharp performance and handling for riding in more spirited environments such as out on the many race tracks of the world.

 

Expect the TE-1 to come loaded to the gills with the latest technology and electronic aids on offer since it’s a bike which will be positioned quite high up if not at flagship status in Triumph’s bike lineup. As for the price, can’t really say yet but for reference Triumph’s current flagship performance bike which has similar power figures to the TE-1, the Speed Triple 1200RS is currently sold for 18 lakh rupees ex-showroom and the TE-1 being the brand’s first EV with all new cutting edge tech and monumental performance will almost definitely cost more than that.

 

During Triumph’s testing phase they’ve got the current benchmarks and targets set by the UK Automotive Council for 2025 in their sights and aim to exceed them with the TE-1. This will also provide a much necessary platform for the testing and development of future Triumph high performance electric bikes.

 

The TE-1 shows the way forward for Triumph Motorcycles by maintaining their reputation for building exquisite bikes with class leading performance but adapting to present times and switching to a cleaner energy source without compromising that quintessential Triumph feel. Expectations are sky high to say the least.