There’s a new tractor coming to market, and you won’t be taking a look under the hood. That’s because the hood doesn’t open. And if it did, there’s not much to see – just batteries and an electric motor.
This is just one of the differences between your traditional diesel utility tractor and industry’s first all-electric utility tractor with autonomous features: the T4 Electric Power by New Holland. It’s coming out in 2024.
Lena Bioni, product marketing manager for New Holland Agriculture North America, tells Mid-West Farm Report that this new model offers solutions for more efficient field operations and cost savings in certain situations.
“This tractor is a significant step forward for growers, producers and municipalities,” Bioni says. “The T4 Electric Power addresses a number of challenges they are facing everyday on their operations.”
A key word to describe the T4 — autonomous. This tractor will follow you through a gate! Listen to the conversation with Bioni to learn more:
There are specific geographies and farms where she says this tractor serves farmers best: mixed farm, hay and forage, dairy, livestock, municipality, greenhouse, and specialty crop operations. New Holland is rolling out the T4 at 10 dealerships on the West Coast. This is because of the incentives offered in California for going electric and reducing emissions.
Under the hood of the T4 Electric Power lies a battery system. It features thermal management to keep the batteries at an ambient temperature, meaning not too hot and not too cold. It offers 4-wheel drive, a 12×12 transmission, and all the regular power outputs of a traditional diesel utility. This includes hydraulics, PTO, and a mechanical self-leveling front loader with a 84’’ bucket included.
“The T4 Electric Power’s quiet electric motor is definitely a big advantage and important tool in noise sensitive areas,” Bioni explains. “Outside, the tractor omits less noise and vibrations compared to diesel ones. Take for example, operating within equestrian barns or on college campuses running mowers and plowing snow alongside dorms.”