Would you buy an electric tractor?

Gale Hawkins · Sep 23, 2020

XSKIER said:
So here is where I am at right now. I have been using a loader around my boat yard for years, and have finally found the "goldilocks" However, my 168 hour 2019 Volvo L25H ($80K) is having emissions issues and reduced power. I love the functionality of the machine, but hate its emissions. Fuel consumption is not even a consideration, I think that I may have fueled it 6 times in 10 months. For my use, I think that electric would be a God send! I don't even care about the overnight electricity usage, as it would probably be a wash in energy expenses. The next great big however, is that Volvo is offering $50k trade towards the $130k electric L25. For $80k extra, I think it is a tough step to make.View attachment 670649 View attachment 670650

As they say quality only costs once but it is up front. That is one awesome machine. In your setting that word Electric would be impressive I expect. I did not know there was a tilt features on front end loaders.

https://www.volvoce.com/-/media/volvoce/emob/brochures/brochure_l25_electric_en_21_20059105_b.pdf?v=G9hQPw

Drstrangeglove · Sep 23, 2020

When the make a electric tractor that can do what my m5-111 can do for 12 hours, then yes I will buy one.

Muhammad · Sep 23, 2020

geneb846 said:
When the make a electric tractor that can do what my m5-111 can do for 12 hours, then yes I will buy one.

It would be fun for somebody to do the math on what size kwh battery a tractor would need to perform for 12 hours before recharge. With torque spikes or ground engaging work I'm betting the battery size would need to be pretty massive with current technology.

4570Man · Sep 24, 2020

Muhammad said:
It would be fun for somebody to do the math on what size kwh battery a tractor would need to perform for 12 hours before recharge. With torque spikes or ground engaging work I'm betting the battery size would need to be pretty massive with current technology.

If that 105 hp tractor is averaging 75 hp over the 12 hour span I’m calculating about 650 kilowatts to run it for 12 hours before efficiency losses. If you completely redesigned the whole thing with 4 independent wheel motors and an electric pto you, and a hydraulic pump that only ran when needed you could keep efficiency pretty high but if you just stuck an electric motor in place of the current diesel the losses would be quite a bit.

Grumpycat · Sep 24, 2020

Mat4644 said:
Looking at home electrical infrastructure needed and current technology costs it's not going to happen in many of our lifetimes. Tesla survives because it's a desirable novelty car for many. Propped up with government incentives and stock speculators. Very doubtful without speculation to be a viable longterm company. People with tractors overall tend to look at the more practical side of ownership.

Not true. There is a huge surplus on the power grid at night. This is driving T.O.U. billing for consumers. Industrial users know this for a long time. In Georgia one can get in a program where night time EV charging is under 2 cents/kWh. Not subsidized. Is due to the surplus available, how the heat plants have to be kept hot all night to be ready in the morning, and how the incremental cost of generation is about 1.5 cents/kWh.

(this stupid forum will not let me use the cents symbol without prefixing it with crap: ｢ )

Grumpycat · Sep 24, 2020

4570Man said:
If that 105 hp tractor is averaging 75 hp over the 12 hour span I’m calculating about 650 kilowatts to run it for 12 hours before efficiency losses.

About 650 kilowatt-hours.
About $65 of electricity around here.

milkman636 · Sep 24, 2020

This brings to mind more questions than I have answers. So if I'm driving along and mowing a seasonal trail in the woods with my rotary cutter, and then come across a fallen tree I'd like to nudge out of the way with my FEL, how many electric motors would it take to power all those functions at once? Are there separate drive motors for the wheels, PTO, and hydraulics? Or would there be a single large motor with transmissions, gearing, shafts and associated losses? and maybe a smaller dedicated hydraulic motor? If you have transmissions, where would the batteries go? And will there be a hybrid model that can provide supplemental power for the electric drives?

hdmyers · Sep 24, 2020

milkman636 said:
This brings to mind more questions than I have answers. So if I'm driving along and mowing a seasonal trail in the woods with my rotary cutter, and then come across a fallen tree I'd like to nudge out of the way with my FEL, how many electric motors would it take to power all those functions at once? Are there separate drive motors for the wheels, PTO, and hydraulics? Or would there be a single large motor with transmissions, gearing, shafts and associated losses? and maybe a smaller dedicated hydraulic motor? If you have transmissions, where would the batteries go? And will there be a hybrid model that can provide supplemental power for the electric drives?

Electric drive power is such that it can accomplish much more than any diesel (105hp kubota or not ). The 'battery' or energy storage is the part of the equation that will need to scale up.
The flexibility of power application through wheel hubs/multiple electric drives etc is massive. I doubt i'll have an electric tractor...given my next purchase will be my last and that storage won't be up to snuff for the near future. But I wouldn't shy away from it if that time does come... the benefit of electric drives over combustion is huge except for the storage issue. A hybrid model might make more sense for larger frame tractors... Diesels run best at one speed to be most efficient.
cheers

Mat4644 · Sep 24, 2020

Grumpycat said:
Not true. There is a huge surplus on the power grid at night. This is driving T.O.U. billing for consumers. Industrial users know this for a long time. In Georgia one can get in a program where night time EV charging is under 2 cents/kWh. Not subsidized. Is due to the surplus available, how the heat plants have to be kept hot all night to be ready in the morning, and how the incremental cost of generation is about 1.5 cents/kWh.

(this stupid forum will not let me use the cents symbol without prefixing it with crap: ｢ )

Yes it is true. Manufacturing and owning are heavily subsidized with direct and indirect monies. If it wasn't for stock speculation Tesla would have been bankrupt long ago. With current economics company viability isn't possible without the speculation and outside incentives. When it becomes more of an economic reality and not a novelty toy for those with excess income look for a bigger push from the automakers.