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.

Kubota LXe electric tractor

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 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