There’s an old saying that rings true even today; the tractor is the most important vehicle in the world. Without tractors and similar farming equipment, the highly productive farming upon which the world relies for its food wouldn’t be possible.
But tractors haven’t stayed static over the decades, evolving over time into powerful machines that have dramatically shifted the farming landscape. Now, with the advent of EV tractors in agriculture, the farming industry is set to undergo another transformation, one that elevates it into a profession that is safer, healthier, more profitable, productive, and enjoyable.
Put simply, an EV or electric vehicle tractor is a tractor that runs on electricity rather than diesel or traditional gas power. EV tractors can do the same kind of work as traditional tractors with diesel engines, ranging from spraying crops to supporting harvest operations to mowing and more — it all depends on what a farmer needs and the implements or tools they fit onto their electric tractor (e.g., bucket, push blade, forklift, and so on).
EV tractors are powered by electric vehicle batteries, which receive power from electric outlets or charging stations. The energy from the battery is sent to the electric motor, where it is converted from electrical energy to mechanical energy in order to operate the tractor. Once charged, EV tractors can continue to run, typically for an entire day of work, until their batteries need to recharge. With today's advanced battery technology, electric tractor battery power typically lasts eight hours or longer, even while using an implement. However, run times vary based on the type of electric tractor, operating conditions, and the type of implement being used.
EV tractors do not produce any emissions, as their mechanical power is produced through an electric current instead of burning fossil fuels, benefiting farmers, their farms, and the planet by eliminating toxic emissions and damaging ground-level ozone pollution. Additionally, they reduce the overall carbon footprint of our food ecosystem.
Modern farming, particularly farming that takes place on smaller farms, faces numerous challenges — chronic labor shortages, diesel and diesel-related expenses, reporting costs, and risk of damage from extreme weather events, among others. And yet, in contrast with large-scale, industrial farms, fruit and vegetable farms produce a wider variety of the world’s food crops and make an important contribution to agricultural biodiversity.
The U.S. is dominated with crops like corn, wheat, and soy. These are commonplace at industrial farms, which according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, are characterized by large-scale monocultures that are typically used as animal feeds, biofuels, and low-nutrient, high-processed foods. By reducing or eliminating the cost of diesel, EV tractors can help make farming more profitable for the world’s fruit and vegetable farmers and keep a diverse selection of more nutritious, healthful foods on the table.
There are many significant benefits to using EV tractors.
Not convinced that a farmer will feel these benefits deploying an EV tractor on the farm? As of December 2022, Monarch Tractor was the only company to produce a fully electric, driver-optional, smart tractor at scale and bring it to market. This has allowed the Monarch to collect data and insights from customers and field trials.
Vineyard field trials indicated the MK-V can save an estimated $2,600 on fuel and more than 34K lbs. of CO2e per year. A case study at a high-density apple orchard calculated potential labor costs savings at $12K per year if the tractor was used autonomously for 500 out 1000 hours of run time.
Bottom line: farms will realize real-world benefits and improvements as soon as EV tractors are deployed in the fields.
Though there are plenty of major advantages to using EV tractors on a farm, some farmers may feel wary of adopting these new technologies without accounting for any potential downsides.
Some farmers have expressed concern that EV tractors are inherently unreliable since their operational windows are constrained by their battery life spans. However, the best EV tractors overcome these concerns quickly – for example, the Monarch MK-V has a run time of up to 14 hours depending on the farm, operation, and implement, and only takes six hours to charge from 0% to 100%. Farm managers have reported that planning the day around this charging schedule is more than manageable.
The initial cost of an EV tractor is another concern of farmers. The price of an electric EV tractor can be reduced by taking advantage of financial incentives when available, including those applicable to charging infrastructure. When you consider the long-term savings that an electric tractor can bring to your farm – especially an electric tractor that is also autonomous and smart – it’s clear that investing in these new tractors could be a wise long-term economic investment.
With their many advantages, electric tractors promise to play an important role in the future of farming Let’s take a closer look at the future of EV tractors and how they interact with additional technologies.
EV tractors are powerful new tools in and of themselves. But perhaps more importantly, EV tractors are a platform for new, ever-more-useful innovations. The MK-V was engineered to work with the common implements that are part of today’s farms, and those of the future, providing a robust platform for next-generation smart implements. Monarch Tractor, the maker of the MK-V, is also licensing its technology to other manufacturers, ensuring as many farmers benefit from the latest developments in AgTech at scale and speed.
Seen through this lens, EV tractors aren’t isolated advancements — they're integral parts of a broader transition to a new farming paradigm.
EV tractors are making their way onto farms right now. These efficient, highly productive vehicles are transforming farms and helping make them better than ever. Monarch’s MK-V tractor is supporting farmers by giving them the resources they need to overcome today’s challenges and those of the future.
References:
“Sustainable Agriculture.” United States Department of Agriculture. https://www.nifa.usda.gov/topics/sustainable-agriculture
“Electric Vehicle (EV) Definition.” U.S. Department of Energy.
https://afdc.energy.gov/laws/12660
“Small Farms, Big Differences.” U.S. Department of Agriculture.
https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2010/05/18/small-farms-big-differences
“Hidden Costs of Industrial Agriculture.” | Union of Concerned Scientists.
https://www.ucsusa.org/resources/hidden-costs-industrial-agriculture#:~:text=Industrial%20agriculture%2C%20especially%20in%20the,and%20enormously%20costly%E2%80%94health%20impacts
“Learn About Impacts of Diesel Exhaust and the Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA).” US EPA. https://www.epa.gov/dera/learn-about-impacts-diesel-exhaust-and-diesel-emissions-reduction-act-dera