All-electric Bobcat compact track loader

[neilkingent]

Sorry, wind and solar are not going to solve our energy problems.

 

[fishhead]

No they won't but they can be an important part, plus things like tidal or even Nuclear. Too, Mass storage technologies are improving and there are more and more ways to use less energy without suffering- for example Cold Climate heat pumps. Whether you believe in Climate science or not its dumb to waste energy and even petroleum.

Back to tractors - the earlier comment about diesel electric is spot on - why aren't we seeing some type of hybrids? Seems like they could have some of the advantages you get from electric - no exhaust in closed spaces, peak torque at ultra low rpm etc with the advantages of liquid fuels- longer running time/ flexibility in use

 

[bsekf]

Neil, you are 100% correct. They will exacerbate the problems.

Until Inda and China get on board reducing pollution, we are simply adding expense to our energy costs.

The AOC's in our government don't have a clue and don't care how much energy costs. They are simply driving us further into debt.

If they were serious they would be pushing nuclear.

Bill

 

[BigBlue1]

^^^ That.

 

[Joe Batt]

The most interesting thing to me about this is the choice of electric actuators over hydraulic cylinders for the loader portion. ...
Meanwhile, i have a 50hp (capable) electric motor/controller/charger setup from an old electric car i parted out that was made by a failed EV startup in the early 90s. I also have a small skid steer with a shitty engine. I've recently been thinking about trying to combine the two. But that would be just hooking an electric motor up to the existing tandem hydraulic pumps.

I completely agree. The electric->hydraulic pressure step needs to be more efficient. I just googled "solid state hydraulic pump" and saw this Solid-State Pumps - Kinetic Ceramics I thikn something like that will be required to make the step from diesel to EV utility tractors.

 

[newbury]

No they won't but they can be an important part, plus things like tidal or even Nuclear. Too, Mass storage technologies are improving and there are more and more ways to use less energy without suffering- for example Cold Climate heat pumps. Whether you believe in Climate science or not its dumb to waste energy and even petroleum.

Back to tractors - the earlier comment about diesel electric is spot on - why aren't we seeing some type of hybrids? Seems like they could have some of the advantages you get from electric - no exhaust in closed spaces, peak torque at ultra low rpm etc with the advantages of liquid fuels- longer running time/ flexibility in use

Most "tractors" are not the ideal tool for closed spaces. Closed places usually have a flat floor and other machines are better used, such as forklifts, and they are often electric.

 

[ddbackhoe]

Neil, you are 100% correct. They will exacerbate the problems.

Until Inda and China get on board reducing pollution, we are simply adding expense to our energy costs.

The AOC's in our government don't have a clue and don't care how much energy costs. They are simply driving us further into debt.

If they were serious they would be pushing nuclear.

Bill

This is where a huge part of the problem lies….get rid of coal, go natural gas..wait, no natural gas we need wind and solar, wait we have too many users and brown/black outs are a certainty. Let’s go back to nuclear, uhoh no place to store waste. Hydro, thats the ticket…uhoh nobody left to check the dams.
So yeah, why not put our transportation, construction and manufacturing all on electric. Makes perfect sense, until the lights go out.

 

[barts]

All ranting about politics aside, the future of energy distribution is electricity. Our new place has a heat pump rather than burning propane, with wood stoves in case of power failure. We have a old diesel truck - but the new sedan is a Tesla. The chainsaw is an older gas model, but perhaps the next one will be electric. An electric subcompact tractor could be quite practical, but is currently too expensive - but that will change. Renewables - hydro, geothermal, solar, wind - comprise an increasing part of the nation's and the world's energy sources. We cannot continue to use fossil fuels forever - climate, pollution and supply all prevent their long term use.

When I was first working as an engineer in the mid 80s, I developed factory automation systems w/ robots. Some robots were electric-hydraulic, but that was the old-school stuff. The newer all-electric systems were quiet, clean and very powerful, and were essentially maintenance free aside from cleaning air filters in the cabinets.

I wonder what an all-electric compact tractor will look like twenty years from now.

- Bart

 

[neilkingent]

cool tractors, but without a FEL not really useful to me. I could have bought a skid steer, but a tractor with a FEL and backhoe made more sense to me. Technological advancement is all well and good, but if you don't need it, it's a waste of money.

 

[bnold]

And, speaking of price. The enviro green group don't care about the price, they'll never buy one. The price of a new tractor is already in the stratosphere. Only a moron would buy a $100K electric car to replace a comparative $50K gasoline car and tractors will be worse. I just don't believe there will be a "used" market for electric vehicles.

The only people who are buying electric vehicles are the green inviro morons or those with more money than brains.

Let’s see, used Tesla model 3s are selling for more $$ than new due to months long wait list.

Tesla model 3 less than $50k new for standard model.

I have diesel SUV, diesel truck, diesel tractors, gas toys, and EV commuter.

My 216 mile commute costs me less than $2.50/day in power today. No fuel station stops, 1st scheduled maintenance in 2 years. Also, just fun as heck to drive.

Each power plant has their place for me. Electric, diesel, gas, propane… hardly an ‘Enviro Moron’.