Three electric tractor start-ups you need to know about
With the ever increasing push towards a more sustainable future, tractor manufacturers are constantly developing their alternative energy portfolios. While the larger, more established brands seem to be spending big money on development, smaller companies are fine-tuning the technology. Here are three electric tractor start-ups that you need to know about.
Three electric tractor start-ups you need to know about
With the ever increasing push towards a more sustainable future, tractor manufacturers are constantly developing their alternative energy portfolios. While the larger, more established brands seem to be spending big money on development, smaller companies are fine-tuning the technology. Here are three electric tractor start-ups that you need to know about.
ZY Elektrik Tractor
ZY Elektrik Tractor is a Turkish company founded by the partnership of Önder Yol and Ziraat Private Equity. Önder Yol has been involved in research activities in electric vehicle software and battery management systems since 2003. The ZY electric tractor looks like an ordinary tractor with a cabin. There is however no diesel engine, instead a large 95 kWh battery pack powers this machine. According to the data released by the company, the battery pack is sufficient for approximately 5 to a maximum of 7 operating hours.
The batteries can be charged via the standard charging points for electric cars or via the power network on the farm. Depending on the capacity of the charging point, the battery is fully charged within about 45 minutes.
Solectrac e70N
Solectrac has become a pioneer within the electric tractor segment. Solectrac was indeed the first company to bring an all electric tractor to the market. The latest e70N is a powerful, narrow electric tractor that is perfectly suited for vineyards and orchards.
Operational time is of vital importance and the e70N offers a runtime of between 3–8 hours depending on the load, and you can double the range with an exchangeable pack. Charging times range anywhere between 8-10 hours with 220 VAC, 50 amps, and 6 hours with an 8kW solar array. Furthermore, the 37kW of power comes courtesy of a 60kWh battery.
This tractor also accepts all category 1 and 2 implements on the rear 3-point hitch, 540 rpm PTO, with a lifting capacity of 900kg.
Monarch Electric Tractor
Monarch is committed to elevating farming practices to enable clean, efficient, and economically viable solutions for today's farmers and the generations of farmers to come. Monarch is slightly different to the above tractors in that it has a focus on more than just electrification.
Monarch hopes its tractor becomes a platform for apps and AI that use its visual data gathering and detailed process recording to create better harvests without having to add drone or satellite technology that isn't already on most farms. Thanks to its advanced autonomous capabilities, Monarch aims to see a farm employee move from driving one tractor to potentially managing a handful of them.
The basic Monarch Tractor puts out 30kW of power. The Monarch has nine forward and three reverse gears which drive the rear or all four wheels depending on model. The tractor will work as long as 10 hours on a charge or as little as six during particularly high-load operations. Recharging takes around 4 to 5 hours on a Level 2 connection.
Its autonomous ability comes from rugged, inexpensive camera technology that forms the visual sensor pack in place of expensive, delicate Lidar. It will be able to recognise crops and a lot more to make fully autonomous farming operations possible.
