What's next for electric machinery?

Manufacturers are building to a future where alternative-fuel vehicles run alongside diesel. Electric vehicles may seem like a front-runner at the moment, but they aren’t likely to replace your whole fleet anytime soon — if ever.

Electric-powered, high-horsepower tractors are still a long way off due to battery density, says Jon Gilbeck, global manager for construction equipment product management and electrification lead for John Deere. 

“To give an example, consider our 8R tractor running at about 75% load over 14 hours. In order to do that with full battery electric, you’d have to have a tractor two times the size, two times the weight, and four times the cost of what it is today,” says Gilbeck.

While it might not be possible to run a 300 hp tractor off battery power yet, major manufacturers are getting their feet in the door on the technology.

Battery power anxiety

Most customers in agriculture and construction are asking three questions when it comes to electric vehicles: How long is the battery going to last, how long is it going to take to charge, and how expensive would it be to replace the battery, says Zimin Vilar, construction and forestry battery electric platform manager for John Deere.

“When customers are looking at the potential of going from diesel to electric, they often talk about range — or charge — anxiety,” says Gilbeck. He says John Deere will monitor battery range through John Deere Operations Center, with a near real-time data feed to keep an eye on machine health.

Battery technology might not be ready for the average row crop farmer to make the leap to a fully electric tractor, but specialty farmers, construction companies, corporations, and municipalities have been anticipating this technology.

“We have a lot of corporate farms or large institutions clamoring for a zero-emission solution for their ESG [environment, social, and governance] targets,” says Kurt Coffey, vice president of Case IH for North America. “[Electric machinery] really fits that niche.”

CNH Industrial has entered the electric market with New Holland’s T4 Electric Power utility tractor and Case IH’s Farmall 75C Electric tractor. Both tractors are rated at 74 hp with 65 PTO hp and a top speed of 25 mph. The electric engine provides instant acceleration and torque throughout the whole speed range, says Jeff Akel, global tractor product marketing manager for Case IH.

Along with battery power comes a quieter engine, requiring additional safety features. Both tractors have a range of future-focused smart features including full 360° camera view so operators can look out for obstacles, and the tractor can send audible warnings and make automatic stops when approaching an object or person.

The tractors have an estimated running time of about four hours under heavy application, but can almost fully recharge in an hour with DC fast charging. Even though they’re battery-powered, the tractors run similarly to their diesel counterparts, without compromise on capability. 

AGCO introduced the Fendt e100 in a similar horsepower range as CNH’s offerings, with an estimated running time in the field of up to five hours. It uses automotive standard charging systems for both AC and DC charging, and it can be recharged to 80% capacity in 40 minutes. The tractor is expected to launch in Europe in 2024 and North America in 2025.

“At this point, we see the greatest interest from small farms and especially ones focused on organics or specialty crops such as those grown in vineyards or orchards,” says Leo von Stillfried, director of product management, premium tractors at AGCO. “Municipalities with large landscaping responsibilities, golf courses, horse farms, and similar are also areas where battery technology is more than adequate to meet the power needs of electric equipment.”

Small machinery

Electrification is making the most headway in orchard and turf applications, due to the smaller size of machine required for each operation. 

Monarch Tractor is among the leaders in this market with the MK-V, a 100% electric and driver-optional tractor. The MK-V is designed for use in orchard, vineyard, and dairy operations, rated for up to 70 hp and 40 continuous hp. This tractor has all the compatibility of a similar-sized tractor with a three-point hitch and hydraulic top and side links. Due to its size, the tractor is capable of up to 14 hours of operation before needing a recharge, which takes five to six hours with the 80 amp charger. For 24-hour operation, the battery can be swapped out.

Solectrac by Ideanomics is another company operating entirely in the electric space. It currently offers two models: the e25 and the eUT+ Narrow, operating at the equivalent of 25 hp and 75 hp, respectively. Depending on their load, these can run for about eight hours at a time, with the e25 capable of recharging in 5.5 hours, and the eUT+ in as little as one hour. 

The battery doesn’t sacrifice power, providing the capability to achieve instant torque and maintain continuous PTO output. For example, the eUT+ Narrow is built to be comparable to diesel tractors at the same level, with a hitch capable of lifting up to 5,500 pounds. There is no measurable difference in hauling, tillage, discing, and spraying operations. 

Deere’s Z370R Electric ZTrak all-electric, zero-turn mower is the company’s first foray into the lithium-ion battery machine. The mower is designed to produce less noise and vibration and is targeted at residential property owners. Capable of covering up to 2 acres on a single charge, it can be recharged with a standard outdoor extension cord and 110-volt grounded outlet. To avoid getting stranded when the battery is near depletion, the mower blades will switch off and a battery reserve will allow the operator to drive the mower to a charging outlet.

What’s next?

John Deere’s long-term goal is to have one fully autonomous, battery-powered small ag tractor, one electric vehicle for each family of turf and compact utility equipment, and at least 20 construction machines by 2026, says Gilbeck. 

Deere has yet to announce a consumer-ready electric tractor, but the company has entered the electric market with a range of smaller equipment, generally less than a 120 hp equivalent, primarily focused in construction now. Construction was an ideal market to enter because of a lower physical range of operation and intermittent usage, allowing for a full day’s work without stopping to charge. This kicked off with Deere’s X-Tier E-Power construction equipment, including a wheel loader, backhoe, and excavator concept machines.

For CNH Industrial, electric-powered machinery isn’t intended to replace diesel machinery.

“The Farmall 75C Electric is not going to replace a diesel — it’s not going to be all electric or all diesel,” says Akel. “For people who this tractor’s applicable for, that’s what they’ll buy. If farmers want to buy diesel, they’ll continue to buy diesel. We’re there to provide purposeful solutions for the customers.”

New Holland is pursuing a range of alternative propulsion technologies for its fleet, including biodiesel. In the short term, New Holland is working on powering vehicles with methane, until battery technology catches up to higher horsepower capabilities, says Carlo Lambro, brand president of New Holland. 

“Looking above 110 to 120 hp, you need to have a bigger battery pack on the tractor, and you also need to be able to give the farmer enough power for covering at least eight working hours,” says Lambro. To cope with the technological restraints, he expects hydrogen propulsion could be a solution for powering high-horsepower machines, but likely not before at least 2030. 

AGCO is investing in battery solutions in the lower-horsepower range and looking at alternative fuels such as hydrogen, synthetics, and biofuels for higher-horsepower machinery.

“Given the advancements in battery technology, we see potential to grow both in reach and horsepower,” says von Stillfried. “By the end of the decade, I believe we will have electric farm equipment in the range of 140 to 150 hp, with further improvements in runtime and recharge capabilities.”