Would you buy an electric tractor?

[5030]

Kubota electric. Drive it while sitting in your recliner in house. No cab needed.

View attachment 670576

Looks like an orange cockroach.

 

[RSR]

I think for a part time enthusiast like myself who rarely has more than 3 hour chunks of time to get stuff done on my tractor, it would be great. Ag operations are clearly a different beast.

I think battery life would likely not be as big of problem as most think. A Tesla model 3 is around 275 hp with a 250 mile range, or roughly 4 hours of use. They use a 100 kWh battery.

Roughly speaking 45 hp is 33 kw. So, if I'm running my tractor under full load 100% of the time, I still get 3 hours of use. Usage under actual conditions would probably be closer to at least double or triple that. For homeowners, fine. For Ag farmers, maybe not there yet.

The better solution, as I see it, is a modular battery installation whereby batteries are being charged while you are working. When the battery goes low, you pull in, swap out a fresh one, and keep working, while the old one charges.

 

[tbk5]

No interest.

 

[MossRoad]

I think for a part time enthusiast like myself who rarely has more than 3 hour chunks of time to get stuff done on my tractor, it would be great. Ag operations are clearly a different beast.

I think battery life would likely not be as big of problem as most think. A Tesla model 3 is around 275 hp with a 250 mile range, or roughly 4 hours of use. They use a 100 kWh battery.

Roughly speaking 45 hp is 33 kw. So, if I'm running my tractor under full load 100% of the time, I still get 3 hours of use. Usage under actual conditions would probably be closer to at least double or triple that. For homeowners, fine. For Ag farmers, maybe not there yet.

The better solution, as I see it, is a modular battery installation whereby batteries are being charged while you are working. When the battery goes low, you pull in, swap out a fresh one, and keep working, while the old one charges.

A 55 gallon DeWalt battery. :thumbsup:

 

[/pine]

Solar and wind farms would be a relevant application...mowing etc...

 

[4570Man]

I think for a part time enthusiast like myself who rarely has more than 3 hour chunks of time to get stuff done on my tractor, it would be great. Ag operations are clearly a different beast.

I think battery life would likely not be as big of problem as most think. A Tesla model 3 is around 275 hp with a 250 mile range, or roughly 4 hours of use. They use a 100 kWh battery.

Roughly speaking 45 hp is 33 kw. So, if I'm running my tractor under full load 100% of the time, I still get 3 hours of use. Usage under actual conditions would probably be closer to at least double or triple that. For homeowners, fine. For Ag farmers, maybe not there yet.

The better solution, as I see it, is a modular battery installation whereby batteries are being charged while you are working. When the battery goes low, you pull in, swap out a fresh one, and keep working, while the old one charges.

If you’re only working 3 hours what’s to be gained with electric? The emissions of a clean diesel is hardly any. If you’re a homeowner user that’s almost entirely a moot point, fuel cost for such little use is again so insignificant it really doesn’t matter. A diesel engine lasts pretty much forever with little upkeep under homeowner use at least they did before the EPA ruined them. An electric tractor is almost certainly going to have pretty complicated electronics that will fail, and is going to need expensive battery replacements with time.

 

[Hiptfarms]

Count me in...assuming I can afford one. I can charge it directly from my 17kw Sunpower solar array. We are loving it. The power company owes me money every month!

 

[grsthegreat]

The answer to a lot of these issues will come when machine/vehicle rooftop solar panels are effective enough to charge the battery while in operation. I don't see that in the next 10 years.

And we're still not dealing with the issues of mining and refining the materials to make these machines.

not enough rooftop square inches to accomplish that. Maybe tow around a 8 panel solar arrey....like a 40 foot semi trailer.

 

[4570Man]

not enough rooftop square inches to accomplish that. Maybe tow around a 8 panel solar arrey....like a 40 foot semi trailer.

Even if solar panels were 100 percent efficient and you only wanted to operate at the equator at noon it’s a far cry from working. Throw in the fact that they aren’t 100 percent efficient ( like 20 percent) and you’ll be working in less than ideal conditions it’s almost a laughable idea. Maybe if parking for a week to charge and working for a day was acceptable it would work.

 

[XSKIER]

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.