Test

Last changed: 13 April 2021

Come and try a tractor that is powered by the sun! Contact gunnar.larsson@slu.se / 018-671842 for more info

Replacing the diesel used by agricultural tractors is a big challenge. The high mean power during long work days put great demands on any storage of electricity. Depending on usage, current-technology batteries would have a mass of more than one ton and cost over one million SEK in order to handle heavy field work.

An alternative is to not store the electricity on the tractor, but rather connect the tractor to the grid and let the entire grid work as a battery. The technique was tested when agricultural tractors first emerged. Cheap fossil came, as was the case for road traffic, to spell the end for these options at the time. In recent years, attention to the environmental impact of fossil fuels and long-term price increases has again increased the interest in alternatives to fossil fuel. Several tractor manufacturers have developed tractors that use electricity in the driveline.

Within the project, we will evaluate operation with a 200 meter long cable, with the goal of reducing energyconsumption by 50% compared to conventional tractors, while the tractor should be as flexible as a conventional tractor. During the fall of 2017 the tractor will be evaluated in tests. If you have expressed interest we will contact you when the tests take place.

Facts:

The project is carried out by Gasilage, SLU, Sweco and Sala Heby Energi. It is funded by the Energy Agency's demonstration program for electric vehicles.