Triumph Motorcycles and British F1 team Williams have received millions in government funding to produce electric motorcycles over the next two years.
The iconic British motorcycle manufacturer has been surveying its customers since 2012 to see if they are interested in them producing electric bikes and sent out an email survey as recently as February.
This was followed in March by a trademark filing for the name “Trident” to be used for “all possible classes” including motorcycling gear, accessories, clothing and “electric machines”.
Now they have announced Project Triumph TE-1 to create “UK electric motorcycle capability”.
Project with F1 team
They will collaborate with UK industry experts, including Williams Advanced Engineering which is the technology arm of the Williams F1 team and the University of Warwick.
The UK government has chipped in £25 million (about $A46m) to develop the electric motorcycle technology and “innovative integrated solutions” over the next two years.
Triumph CEO Nick Bloor says the project is driven by their customers’s need to “reduce their environmental impact, combined with the desire for more economical transportation and changing legislation”.
“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,” he says.
Survey questions
In February, Triumph asked their customers:
- Have you ever ridden an electric motorcycle?
- How do you rate the experience on a scale of 1-10?
- Do you own an electric motorcycle?
- What might prevent you from buying an electric motorcycle?
- How would you feel about felt Triumph building an electric motorcycle?
It’s refreshing that Triumph asked their customers what they wanted before starting open this TE-1 project.
However, the questions they should be asking their supporters are:
- How much would you be prepared to pay for an electric Triumph?
- What is the minimum range you would require?
- How soon should we launch an electric motorcycle?
- What is the maximum charging time you would be prepared to put up with?