You may or may not have heard of Project Triumph TE-1. It?s a project that was publicised a little bit a few years ago, but since then, it?s been all quiet on the western front. Until today. That?s because the project, led by Triumph Motorcycles, in partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering, Integral Powertrain Ltd and WMG at the University of Warwick, and funded by the Office for Zero Emissions Vehicles, has just reached the completion of Phase 2. Well that?s all very nice, but what exactly is Project Triumph TE-1" I?ll tell you?

Put simply, it?s a two year project focused on ?developing technical innovation and advanced electric motorcycle capability?. It?s basically a massive, inter-industry government funded R&D exercise. It?s definitely not an attempt by Triumph to develop a new, class-leading, state-of-the-art electric motorcycle, and have someone else pay for it. Not that in the slightest. According to the press release, the machine they?re working on is purely a prototype to develop chassis and powertrain technology in an effort to reduce UK emissions, nurture sustainable partnerships with UK industry and enhance the expertise and capability within the UK workforce. Nowhere does it say the prototype will be put into production any time soon. And who are we to read between the lines"
And that?s a real shame, because some of the innovations make pretty exciting reading. Williams Advanced Engineering have been concentrating on ?energy densi...