The future of electric farming is taking shape at John Deere [video]

Energy independence and cost control are top of mind for farmers, and more companies are rolling out electric equipment that can be charged by solar, wind, or even on-farm biogas. With the debut of its latest next-generation electric tractor at Agritechnica last month, John Deere is signaling that it intends to lead that revolution.

John Deere says the E-Power electric tractor prototypes that it’s been quietly teasing since 2022 will be as quiet as a car, as easy to drive as a golf cart, and require minimal upkeep – and all while providing the same performance as the company’s beloved diesel tractors.

“Our goal with the E-Power tractor is to ensure it performs the same jobs as its diesel counterparts and works with the same implements, while unlocking incremental value,” explains Derek Muller, business manager for battery electric vehicle systems at John Deere. “Through our electric lineup, we’ll look to reduce operational and maintenance costs, deliver powerful and reliable performance, and intuitive operation.”

The latest electric John Deere tractor prototype, recently unveiled at Agritechnica, is equipped with a 100 hp drive motor and two, additional motors. One 130 continuous hp electric motor for the PTO, and a third for the hydraulic pump. They’ll draw power from up to five KREISEL li-ion battery packs, allowing customers significant pricing flexibility based on their ability to determine how much power and run time they need (and are willing to pay for) to get their jobs done.

Electric John Deere tractor

The customization will go well beyond just battery size. Deere plans to offer customers a number of different tractor and equipment options, and keep costs competitive by basing them on a vehicle common architecture.

“John Deere aims to develop a single electric concept that customers can configure to their own needs,” writes Bob Karsten, at Future Farming. “Buyers will be able to choose the number of batteries (up to five, totalling 195 kWh), the axle type (narrow or wide track), and the cab (either an orchard cab or the familiar 5M cab). In essence, buyers select their preferred battery capacity. With the largest battery (195 kWh), the tractor can operate for eight hours. The target is to enable fast charging up to 80% in 30 minutes.”

Deere revealed one version of that upcoming electric tractor (above) at Agritechnica last week, but despite being an early prototype, it’s a fully functional piece that’s already seen duty with some of John Deere’s most trusted customers.

• Daniel, an orchard customer from California, said his experience with the electric tractor led him to believe it could help ease training new operators, “I do think the tractor is much easier for drivers to understand it and to drive it. It would take less time to teach them [operators] how to use it.”
• Tyler, a vineyard customer in California, believes that a new electric tractor could help his operation meet its sustainability goals, “When we look at our carbon footprint, greenhouse gas emissions, we want to try and reduce those as we run our equipment to farm our vineyards, we want to be conscious of the community at large.”

There’s no official word yet on when the new John Deere electric tractor platform will start reaching customers, but Big Green’s recent purchase of battery manufacturer KREISEL and its continued push into more global markets means that it can’t afford to take things slow.

You can check out a quick, virtual walkaround of John Deere’s E-Power electric tractor concept in this (admittedly older) video released around the ACT Expo, and expect more details and possible configurations at the upcoming CON/AGExpo conference in March.

John Deere E-Power configurations

SOURCE | IMAGES: John Deere.

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