Tractor News Viable Electric Tractor?

[Annihilator26]

Solectrac Electric Tractors | eUtility
I am always surprised that there aren't any good electric compact tractors on the market. Hopefully Solectrac will finally change that. I know this won't work for everyone, but it seems perfect for my use case and I am sure many people are in a similar position:

1. I only use the tractor a few hours at a time, so charging between use isn't an issue.
2. Its a pain dealing with deisel.
3. I live on a few acres, and I would like to think of myself as environmentally concious. I would pay a small premium for an electric tractor.
4. My wife hates the noise of our tractor, and if I had something quieter I would probably get a lot more use out of it.

There is no information about price yet, and short term I expect this to be more expensive, but long term the auto industry is showing that electric drivetrains shouldn't cost any more than diesel. If this was available with a FEL when I got my tractor I probably would have gotten a Solectrac.

 

[5030]

3 hours projected run time... phooey. Step up to a JD if you can afford one...lol

Being a resident on AA, I can understand your preferences.....

 

[herm0016]

i would also love an electric tractor. 1 acre, but it was a real mess and having my tractor has been a huge time saver. i am usually pulling stumps or transporting mulch or moving a log. so its on and off the tractor. i probably only actually am using it for less than half the time its running, save for a large snow storm where i do a few driveways and im working it for a couple hours at a time.


holy **** 45000 dollars? it looks like a Chinese tractor that is modified.

i think the whole thing needs to be redesigned. electric hydraulic pump, you don't really need so many gears. how about 2 speeds and a front and rear motor and gear box. linear actuators and an electric powered spinning implements. like mowers. keep the hydraulics to powering some rams for the loader, electric would be better, but very slow. and hydraulics have some shock absorption to them.

how great would it be to just have to do a 7 pin trailer plug up to power your implement!

 

[Grumpycat]

I worry when I see proof their marketing department doesn't understand the product.

Battery Charging Time: 4 hours with 220 V and 8 hours with 110 V​

Half the voltage and half the current only doubles charge time? Two times two is four. Should be at least 4 times longer on 110V. More than 4 times because the same overhead powering the BCM (Battery Control Module) is required at either rate. Essentially the tractor has to be powered up to charge and that consumes the same no matter the charge rate.

Another suspicion is how it has a 22 kWh battery and 4 hours * 220 volts * 24 amps = 21.120 kWh. If one states the battery has 22 kWh then one expects there to be 22 kWh of useable battery, no matter how much is really there with reserve to keep user out of damaging deep discharge or excessive charge. Furthermore the math implies 100% efficiency when charging. An honest number is 80% to 85%.

 

[Tonyinohio]

These things are for idealists not realists. $45K 15 hp tractor + $5K for the 3 pt + $??K for a loader and best case 4 hours run time. Thank you but no.

 

[herm0016]

it could charge at say, 12 amps on either 110 or 220. giving you twice the watts at 220. they don't actually say what the charging current is, and the capacity of the outlet really does not matter. still shows a lack of understanding of the product.

anyway. this company looks to me, to be importing a tractor and shoving some batteries and stuff in them for a huge price. to be a successful here, i think you need to design the whole thing around the electric motor and efficiency.

 

[chim]

Eco-friendly my patoot. They just burn the fuel in a different location and transport it inefficiently to the battery charger.

 

[4570Man]

A battery tractor so I can spend big money on a battery every 10 years and only run half a day at a time. No thanks.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Why would they go with a totally outdated (layout) design? Evolved from the traction engine of a very long time ago.

 

[Grumpycat]

it could charge at say, 12 amps on either 110 or 220. giving you twice the watts at 220. they don't actually say what the charging current is, and the capacity of the outlet really does not matter. still shows a lack of understanding of the product.

They say 220V on 30A circuit and 110V on 15A near the top of the page. But don’t mention one can only draw 24A or 12A (respectively) at 100% duty cycle.

 

[Grumpycat]

Eco-friendly my patoot. They just burn the fuel in a different location and transport it inefficiently to the battery charger.

So what? Is trivially easy to use electricity from any source. Excruciatingly difficult to get diesel from anything but crude oil, and even that is difficult. But with $10,000 of solar panels you would never have to buy fuel ever again. No waste or byproducts. No consumables.

And even if your electricity is generated from coal the equivalent pollution is that of a 30 MPG gasoline automobile. Or about 40 MPG "clean" diesel.

 

[crashz]

I question why they need a 2 range 4 speed transmission with an electric motor on the eUtility? Probably they don't need it other than its the frame of the tractor. And $45,000 is crazy.

The CET looks like a good homeowner suburbanite machine. And 3 hours at home in the yard, of actual working time, is probably a lot for those. So they could be a real popular product. Point it this way, I'd rather have an electric lawn tractor, than electric car. At least you wouldn't be far from home if you ran outa juice.

There is a company that retrofits Takeuchi mini excavators to run on battery power. Nice for inside buildings and such. But they want $250K for them.
They aren't that nice.

 

[/pine]

...Excruciatingly difficult to get diesel from anything but crude oil...

Ever heard of "biodiesel" ?...It's often made from vegetable oil ... no crude required...! it is fairly easy to make by the average consumer at minimal expense for apparatus etc..

 

[desertdog71]

These things are for idealists not realists.

Perfect

 

[Industrial Toys]

These tractors will be harvesting the "Vegetable Based Meatballs" of the future.

 

[5030]

Eco-friendly my patoot. They just burn the fuel in a different location and transport it inefficiently to the battery charger.

Exactly. Why I don't own a Tesla or a Volt or any of the above. (pr below).

 

[5030]

Ever heard of "biodiesel" ?...It's often made from vegetable oil ... no crude required...! it is fairly easy to make by the average consumer at minimal expense for apparatus etc..

Crap is real good for growing algae too. You better stick the the electric car thread you are totally outta your domain here.

 

[5030]

I can see this is gonna turn into a tree hugger, vegan munching thread. I'm unsubscribing as of this comment. Have fun. I'll stick with my turbo diesels thank you.

 

[chim]

So what? Is trivially easy to use electricity from any source. Excruciatingly difficult to get diesel from anything but crude oil, and even that is difficult. But with $10,000 of solar panels you would never have to buy fuel ever again. No waste or byproducts. No consumables.

And even if your electricity is generated from coal the equivalent pollution is that of a 30 MPG gasoline automobile. Or about 40 MPG "clean" diesel.

Where did those numbers come from? If you check the link below, Schneider Electric claims power plant efficiency is around 35 percent, PLUS line losses to get it from the plant are between 8 and 15 percent. I maintain it's more efficient to burn the fuel in the equipment and skip all the wasteful steps.


How big are Power line losses? - Schneider Electric Blog

 

[Grumpycat]

...Excruciatingly difficult to get diesel from anything but crude oil...

Ever heard of "biodiesel" ?...It's often made from vegetable oil ... no crude required...! it is fairly easy to make by the average consumer at minimal expense for apparatus etc..

Sure have! Thats how I was informed well enough to say, "excruciating".

Vegetable oil diesel is something other than biodiesel. Its not something you will get a direct injection engine to run very long without replacing expensive injectors and fuel pumps. Viable for old mechanical injection engines.

If that is something you believe to be a solution then let me suggest CNG. You can use a simple gas valve spraying NG in the diesel engine's intake. Sync it to the accelerator pedal. Can run 75% diesel to 25% NG pretty easily. Still need diesel but you can dilute it with cheap CNG... if you have a source for CNG. Or use Propane, but Propane is expensive but uses a cheaper tank.

12 years ago there was a vendor selling a biodiesel kit for $10,000. At then current prices for natural gas (to heat), sugar, and methanol one could make biodiesel for only $1.65/gallon! But then had to dispose of filters and the spent methanol crud.

DIY kit could be shopped component by component and get up and running for only $6,000!

Excruciating.

For $10k one can purchase solar panels and inverter. Simply plug into the EV. No waste. No mess. No fuss. No fumes. And have surplus power for the home and shop.