Electric Motorcycles: Safer batteries, faster charging, longer range?

There’s much talk today about Electric motorcycles.  They are swiftly gaining popularity as the world transitions towards more sustainable and eco-friendly forms of transportation. One prominent player in this arena is T&D, a leading Chinese company renowned for producing cutting-edge electric powertrains for motorcycles. All T&D electric motorcycle powertrains consist of five key components: battery, motor, controller, charger, and HMI.

When we say a prominent player, T&D are second only in terms of volume to Bosch in the area of electric drive systems and is getting out and about to raise awareness of their capabilities. T&D is a registered brand of Bafang Electric, based in Suzhou, China, with subsidiaries and partners around the globe. Bafang is renowned for its high-quality drive systems for the e-bike sector, with more than 20 years of professional experience in the R&D, manufacturing, and service of electric drive systems.

The brand has developed five distinct systems to offer optimized, outstanding, and harmonised performance in the Off-Road (Storm/FE series), Urban (Forest/LI series), Touring (Fire/HUO series), Entertainment (Mountain/SH series) and High-Performance (Lightning/LE series) categories.

We caught up with the T&D team, including top man Sunny He, at Motorcycle Live, where they showcased two bikes equipped with their Storm FE01 off-road drive system, along with actual-size models of individual components for visitors to explore.

Sunny told us: “The brand name T&D comes from the Chinese TianDi, or Heaven and Earth. Just as ancient wisdom endures into the modern day, T&D is applying that philosophical appreciation of humanity’s place in nature into practical, mechanical solutions to take us into the new, green era”. In other words, they care about the planet.

He went on to add: “There’s fast development in this market. We’re working with semi-solid battery technology, which is very safe- they will NOT explode, even if impacted, will charge faster and offer longer ranges. We’re also excited by the principle of exchanging batteries easily, for example, at a service station; the process will be as quick as filling up with petrol!”

We’re impressed that the company seem to be addressing all the negative feelings about electric motorcycles– speed and convenience of charging/swapping batteries, battery safety (especially if in an accident) and of course, range. 125 miles on a charge? “Easy” was the response.

The company’s dedication to quality and reliability has already earned it a strong industry reputation. T&D’s powertrains are designed with robust materials and cutting-edge engineering techniques, ensuring durability and longevity. (We looked at the parts; we’re no engineers, but you could see the quality). Furthermore, the company offers excellent after-sales support, including maintenance services and readily available spare parts.

In addition to their commitment to technological advancements, T&D actively contributes to the growth of the electric motorcycle ecosystem. They are collaborating with motorcycle manufacturers globally, providing them with customised, standard or bespoke powertrain solutions that enable companies to introduce electric models seamlessly into their line-up.

As the demand for electric motorcycles continues to surge, T&D remains at the forefront, driving the industry forward with their innovative powertrain solutions. With their focus on sustainability, performance, and reliability, we think that T&D is poised to play a significant role in shaping the future of electric transportation.