Electric Tractor Manufacturer Ramps Up Production

[Lineman North Florida]

There are going to have to be some huge advancement's made to supply enough battery power to make a tractor do the types of things that I do with my tractor, pulling offset disc, turn plows, hay balers,etc.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

These tractors are weak.
$55k buys you:
40hp
25hp at the PTO
750lbs loader lift capacity
That is abysmal

 

[Fxfymn413]

These tractors are weak.
$55k buys you:
40hp
25hp at the PTO
750lbs loader lift capacity
That is abysmal

Ever drive any "long haul" truck from the 20's? Less than 30 mph top speed and barely enough power to get up a hill and yet look where we are today.

One of my fellow antique truck collectors has a re-created early Mack that took the drivers days to get the original from Allentown, PA to Massachusetts. Now we do it in hours.

The point is what's out there now won't be what we end up using in the years to come or if they prove to not be workable they will just disappear from the market like the steam powered cars of yesteryear.

 

[5030]

Ever drive any "long haul" truck from the 20's? Less than 30 mph top speed and barely enough power to get up a hill and yet look where we are today.

One of my fellow antique truck collectors has a re-created early Mack that took the drivers days to get the original from Allentown, PA to Massachusetts. Now we do it in hours.

The point is what's out there now won't be what we end up using in the years to come or if they prove to not be workable they will just disappear from the market like the steam powered cars of yesteryear.

Not a viable comparison in my view. Back then, only 2 track roads, no interstates and trucks were not overly powerful either. I'd love to own a chain drive Mack but never will.

Back when I owned a small fleet of road tractors and trailers, I carefully avoided going east of the Pa / Ohio state line and same with my drivers that ran my other units. Once east of the Ohio line, it was another world. Cheap freight, rude drivers, terrible roads and really cheap backhauls. I passed back then. Don't mind driving east in my car for vacation, but a big truck, no way and with fuel prices what they are today, I'd say vacationing via rail is a better alternative.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Except they could do the work required in the 30’s.

Using your comparison, would be like trying to haul today’s loads, on today’s roads, with a truck from the 30’s.

These tractors cannot even come close to the needs of today. I bet in the 30’s they really would have been something. They are building an overpriced tractor, that cannot do the work required today.

There is no serious market for these, like there would be no market for a truck from the 30’s... because they cannot do the work required. I’m not saying someday electric tractors won’t be a thing... I’m saying these are for hipsters with more $$ than brains.

Who in their right mind would spend nearly $60k on a glorified lawn tractor?

 

[5030]

Who in their right mind would spend nearly $60k on a glorified lawn tractor?

60 hell, that is the down payment on a JD EV utility tractor. The JD lists for 225 grand.

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

60 hell, that is the down payment on a JD EV utility tractor. The JD lists for 225 grand.

But this 60k only lifts 750lbs and has 25hp at the PTO

 

[5030]

In reality not germane to me at all. One, I would never buy a toaster tractor, 2. Price of admission is way too high and 3. Duty cycle is way too short for me anyway.

 

[Torvy]

Seems a lot of people on either side of this discussion seem to be all or nothing.

Tractors do little to the environment. They are too few and widespread and run too little compared to cars or trucks.

For some people, electric will be fine. For others, it would not make sense. The price will come down as production goes up. I can see bigger producers having some of both.

My biggest concern is that we do not have the capacity to provide the electricity in the quantities needed. Before any big push to convert to electricity, we need to increase the output. That means nuclear or fossil fuels. Wind and solar are fine for supplemental power, but will never be the primary source.

 

[California]

Meanwhile in San Francisco, definitely an alternate reality there!

Police pulled over an EV taxi running without headlights. But there is no one inside. Then the car moves by iself to the first safe place to park ... in the next block. Cops look puzzled. Bystanders laugh.

The future is now. This is real. We might as well get used to the world we now live in.

Watch what happens when police pull over a driverless car in San Francisco

In an Instagram video originally posted April 1, a driverless Cruise car -- apparently driving at night without its headlights on -- is seen getting pulled...

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