CURRENTS+
eTRIUMPH:
TE-1 ZERO EMISSIONS MOTORCYCLE UPDATE Sound the charge! A collaborative effort by Triumph Motorcycles, Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain Ltd, and WMG at the University of Warwick is on track and meeting or exceeding the objectives announced at the start of the TE-1 project in May 2019. Focused on developing specialized electric motorcycle technology and innovative integrated solutions, this unique collaboration is funded by the Office for Zero Emission Vehicles in the UK and is ready to pay off with globalized solutions. “The completion of Phase 2, and the promising results achieved to date, provide an exciting glimpse of the potential electric future and showcase the talent and innovation of this unique British collaboration,” says Triumph CEO Nick Bloor. “Without a doubt the outcome of this project will play a significant part in our future efforts to meet our customer’s ambition and desire to reduce their environmental impact and for more sustainable transportation.” Best of all, it ensures Triumph will be on two wheels well into the future. “This important project will provide one of the foundations for our future electric motorcycle strategy, which is ultimately focused on delivering what riders want from their Triumph; the perfect balance of performance, handling and real-world usability, with genuine Triumph character,” Bloor adds. With the reveal of the innovative advanced electric powertrain and battery and the first styling sketches for the final Project TE-1 Prototype, Phase 2 of this landmark four phase collaboration in British design and engineering reaches a successful conclusion (see cover). Including innovation in battery and powertrain design, initial test performance results far exceed the current benchmarks and industry targets. Test results show significant innovation in mass, battery technology, and powertrain performance that exceeds the target set by the UK Automotive Council for 2025, meeting the project’s ambitious objectives to deliver genuine innovation for a new standard in fully usable electric motorcycle performance. Project TE-1 is funded by the UK Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV).
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BRP SHOCKER
BRP has announced an ambitious 5-year plan and $300 million investment in the EV space. “In support of our 5-year plan towards adding electric vehicles to all of our product lines, we are creating an Electric Vehicle Development Centre in our hometown of Valcourt, Quebec, Canada,” announced BRP CEO José Boisjoli. “This facility’s focus is energy: the charger and the battery pack, in addition to its complete integration into the vehicle itself!” The plan calls for BRP to deliver electric models in each of its product lines by the end of 2026. “We have always said electrification was not a question of ‘if’ but a question of ‘when’. We are very excited to unveil more details of our plan to deliver market-shaping products that will enhance the consumer experience by offering new electric options,” Boisjoli notes. “We are leveraging our engineering know-how and innovation capabilities to define the best strategy for developing electricpowered products,” he added. After evaluating several concepts, BRP made the electrifying decision to develop its Rotax modular electric powerpack technology, which will be leveraged across all product lines enhancing the consumer experience by offering new electric options. To achieve this, BRP is also expanding its Rotax electric power unit development infrastructure in Gunskirchen, Austria concurrently with the EV Development Centre in Quebec. “We are thrilled to create our EV expertise centre, taking steps into the world of electrification,’’ said Bernard Guy, Senior VP, Global Product Strategy. “Experts on our EV team will feel the agility of a startup environment but will benefit from BRP’s financial resources and state-of-the-art equipment to design our in-house technology,” he added.
