ELECTRIFYING THE FUTURE

MAJOR MANUFACTURERS INTRODUCE ELECTRIC MACHINES IN THEIR LINEUPS.

-  Alex Gray

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.

Questions About Battery

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.