Electric tractor

Kubota LXe electric tractor

Electric tractors are tractors powered by electric vehicle batteries (sometimes called Battery Electric Tractors or BET), or in the case of plug-ins, by an electric power cable.

Advantages

Electric tractors offer several advantages over diesel tractors. An electric motor needs less maintenance than a diesel motor, which has hundreds of moving parts. Electric motors produce maximum torque instantaneously and do not require a manual gearbox to balance torque with speed. They can be powered by household electricity, offering cost savings over diesel fuel. Greenhouse gas emissions, estimated at 53 tons per year for a typical diesel tractor, are drastically reduced. ^[1] Additionally, electric tractors require less periodic maintenance as they do not contain engine oil or transmission fluid. A significant downside to electric tractors is the time it takes to recharge the battery compared to refueling with diesel.

Manufacturers

Electric tractors are manufactured by a German company, Fendt, and by US companies, Solectrac and Monarch Tractor. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5]}

John Deere's protoype electric tractor is a plug-in, powered by an electrical cable. ^[1]

Kubota produces the LXe line of compact electric tractors and is prototyping an autonomous electric tractor. ^[6]

New Holland launched their T4 Electric Power Tractor, first showcased in 2023. ^{[7] [8]}

CaseIH announced their Farmall Utility 75C electric tractor. ^[9]

See also

• Climate-smart agriculture
• Greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture

References

1. Brackney, Susan (2021-09-02). "Electric Tractors Are The Future Of Farming". Hobby Farms. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
2. Gaines, Tharran (2021-11-28). "An electric tractor may be in your future". Successful Farming. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
3. Weisbrod, Katelyn (2022-07-13). "A New Project in Rural Oregon Is Letting Farmers Test Drive Electric Tractors in the Name of Science". Inside Climate News . Retrieved 2022-07-23.
4. Garvey, Scott (2021-02-10). "Development of Fendt's e100 electric tractor continues". Grainews. Retrieved 2022-07-24.
5. Doll, Scooter (2022-08-09). "Foxconn to manufacture electric tractors for Monarch at newly acquired Lordstown facility". Electrek. Retrieved 2022-08-10.
6. Szymkowski, Sean (2020-01-29). "Autonomous, electric tractor could be the future face of smart farming". CNET. Retrieved 2022-07-23.
7. "T4 Electric Power - All-Electric Utility Tractor | New Holland". T4 Electric Power - All-Electric Utility Tractor | New Holland. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
8. "New Holland showcases T4 Electric Power at Agritechnica 2023 | New Holland UK". New Holland showcases T4 Electric Power at Agritechnica 2023 | New Holland UK. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
9. "Case IH's new all-electric Farmall tractor". Successful Farming. Retrieved 2024-09-02.