Farmer Tony Neal, who lives in Canada, devoted his life to farming. A man has his hand on the pulse of innovation in the world of alternative energy, so he uses an electric tractor in his farm.
The idea of purchasing an electric tractor came to the farmer a long time ago. The man admits that the exhaust from the diesel tractor, which he used earlier, poisoned him and the nature around him. In addition, the unbearable noise from the operation of this device forced Tony to work in the earplugs, although they did not save from a loud sound.
The farmer decided that since electric cars are often found on the streets of the cities, then there must be agricultural machinery that runs on electricity. The man was looking for answers in the vast global network. On the Internet, he managed to read many stories about how farmers independently converted diesel tractors into electric ones. In addition, Tony stumbled upon an article about a Californian engineer who developed the first of its kind electric tractor.
Tony Neil immediately found contact with the creator of the electric tractor, Steve Heckert, hoping to purchase this technique for his farm. The creator of the electric tractor invited the farmer to visit the United States and assist in assembling the prototype Solectrac, which saw the world last year.
While the prototype of the electric tractor was tested in America in difficult field conditions, Tony Neill thought about organizing a charging station for alternative equipment. He borrowed a certain amount and installed photovoltaic modules on the farm. The power of such a home station was 10 megawatts. This amount of electricity is enough for him to charge an electric tractor for 5-6 hours.
The farmer receives additional income from the solar station by selling it to the general network. When there is no need to charge the tractor, Neil has a good additional income from the sale of “green” energy.
The man claims that his electric tractor is the first fully designed and built from scratch in Canada. This model of the tractor before the arrival to the owner passed a three-month study. It was tested in various conditions not to confirm the concept, but to prove its economic profitability.
According to Tony Nile, he did not even imagine that such a miracle of technology would appear in his household in real time. The man is infinitely glad that now he does not use fossil fuels, because it greatly harmed both his farm and his budget.
In winter, the electric tractor is stored in a special cargo-type isothermal container. After winter, the tractor does not require maintenance or repair. Tony Neil says that he starts it up without any problems immediately after removing it from the container.
The electric tractor has no radiator, does not require the use of oil, etc. The tractor is equipped with a special computer that regulates the power consumption of the drive. Technical innovation has cruise control. Thanks to this configuration, a certain speed of the tractor is observed. He can go so slowly that it is possible to plant the seeds manually.
One full charge of the electric tractor lasts for 5-8 hours. The engine of the device has 25 horsepower. The power storage capacity of the tractor is 35 kilowatt-hours.
The launch of sales is planned for the near future. The cost of an electric tractor is $ 40,000. Tony Neil reports that the new diesel tractor costs almost as much. Only the electric model of the equipment allows you to save on fuel and protect your farm from harmful emissions. According to a Canadian farmer, the operation of an electric tractor costs ten times less than in the case of diesel vehicles. The use of electric agricultural equipment does not require special maintenance and regular repair.
It should be noted that the electric tractor works almost silently. This creates a comfortable working environment when working the land for the farmer himself and eliminates the harmful effects of increased noise levels.