Clean power doesn’t mean less power, according to New Holland.
With the launch of its T4 Electric Power tractor, New Holland says the industry’s first all-electric utility tractor with autonomous features can “completely match the outputs of power from its diesel equivalent tractor.”
The T4 Electric Power tractor was unveiled last month at the Farm Progress Show at Decatur, Illinois. In this interview, New Holland product manager Lena Bioni breaks down the specs of the electric tractor and discusses the power and flexibility it brings to North American farms.
“We’re able to achieve 74 engine horsepower and 65 PTO horsepower so it truly does fit in that utility tractor class,” says Bioni. “Every farm in North America has the need for a utility tractor. Specifically, this tractor comes standard from the factory with a loader on it. So we know that this tractor is going to be highly used around the barnyard, inside of barns, dairy and livestock facilities, and equine facilities.” (Story continues after the interview.)
The tractor’s motor and battery provides the architecture for 400 volts of power that can achieve 95 kilowatt hours of usable energy. Run time and the need to recharge really depends on what tasks farmers ask the the tractor to perform, says Bioni.
“On average, we say about four hours of runtime… it all depends on what’s happening. If you’re doing something that’s a little bit lighter in demand on the tractor like loader work or pulling a rake, you can see upwards of a full day of operation,” she notes. “And if we are doing something really demanding, like baling or anything that’s ground engaging, we have the opportunity to achieve a full day of work by utilizing a DC fast charger, which will allow the tractor to recharge in just one hour.”
Bioni also discusses the efficiencies electric tractors bring to the farm.
“With the T4 Electric Power, you can expect up to 56 per cent operational cost savings. You’ve got less maintenance because we no longer have the need to change oil filters, to change engine oil. We’ve completely removed the need for diesel and diesel exhaust fluid so our operators are now able to spend less time doing maintenance and more time out operating.”
See Related: New Holland rolls out first all-electric utility tractor
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