POWERTRAIN
BIKE ON YOUR
The Swind EB-01 is the result of an engineering-led business proactively adapting to a changing world and making the process both enjoyable and a commercial success, as Nick Fleurot reports
I
f you want to truly understand something, then the best route is to build it. That’s certainly the case for Swindon Powertrain.
For close to fi fty years the fi rm has been making high-performance engines and componentry. The power behind the British Touring Car Championship’s TOCA engine, as well as a manufacturer of one-off and low- volume engine parts for OEMs, is now investing heavily in electrifi cation. But how did a fi rm, that was created to service F1 engines, decide to start its own electric revolution that now includes a high power-density powertrain with installation kits for classic cars and the fi rst ever hyper e-bike, packing a substantial 15 kilowatts of power?
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www.engineerlive.com
TWO WHEELS GOOD For the team at Swindon Powertrain
the project began with an objective to acquire fi rst-hand knowledge of electric powertrains. Mindful of the wave of electrifi cation sweeping through both ground vehicle markets and motorsport, the company set the intention to become a knowledge leader in the fi eld, creating robust, high-performance powertrains just as it has for internal combustion (ICE) applications. The fi rst question was how to become au fait in the technology as it started to dedicate resource to electrifi cation? Initial thoughts revolved around
creating its own car but it was soon realised that a two-wheeler could teach them even more. The need to
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