Yeah, that means all new farm equipment I would think. That’s cheap, right?
There’s not as much efficiency to be gained in tractors vs cars either. There’s no regen at the end of the field when cultivating. It’s just a steady application of say power to the soil, for hours on end, often with almost zero flexibility for timing (I mean charging). This article is a demonstration of the phrase “easier said than done”.
I could imagine swappable batteries being a thing in the setup. Farmers tend to have the equipment and the knowledge to do things like that. I don’t mean electrical engineering, but moving heavy shit around. And it doesn’t really matter if it looks like shit like in a car.
It’s a good application for swappable batteries. Then it becomes even more expensive, unfortunately. Farmers typically do have the mechanical knowledge for something like that, it would be just like mounting another implement. 1000kg of plates on the front of the tractor.
True on the expense, but I guess that could be manageable. And swapping batteries while at home taking a dump or going for lunch seems more feasible than taking hour long breaks every few hours.
I mean, diesel’s expensive too. Batteries already look tempting and I think they’re only going to look better as time goes on. The only real hurdle for me is the initial outlay for the new hardware.
Absolutely, and farmers wouldn’t do much actual engineering–but farmers are notoriously ingenuous when keeping their ancient and obsolete machines alive and useful. So, i figure that when necessary, they would have no problems rigging up complex electrical systems to meet their needs.
Also definitely not all farmers are highly intelligent, but many definitely are.
Yeah, that means all new farm equipment I would think. That’s cheap, right?
There’s not as much efficiency to be gained in tractors vs cars either. There’s no regen at the end of the field when cultivating. It’s just a steady application of say power to the soil, for hours on end, often with almost zero flexibility for timing (I mean charging). This article is a demonstration of the phrase “easier said than done”.
This guy has built a conversion though and it seems practical on a small farm. https://hackaday.com/2026/01/02/adding-solar-power-to-an-electric-tractor/
I could imagine swappable batteries being a thing in the setup. Farmers tend to have the equipment and the knowledge to do things like that. I don’t mean electrical engineering, but moving heavy shit around. And it doesn’t really matter if it looks like shit like in a car.
It’s a good application for swappable batteries. Then it becomes even more expensive, unfortunately. Farmers typically do have the mechanical knowledge for something like that, it would be just like mounting another implement. 1000kg of plates on the front of the tractor.
True on the expense, but I guess that could be manageable. And swapping batteries while at home taking a dump or going for lunch seems more feasible than taking hour long breaks every few hours.
I mean, diesel’s expensive too. Batteries already look tempting and I think they’re only going to look better as time goes on. The only real hurdle for me is the initial outlay for the new hardware.
You would be surprised.
I know some, and they’re talented. But I do also know some electrical engineers, so my standards are high.
Absolutely, and farmers wouldn’t do much actual engineering–but farmers are notoriously ingenuous when keeping their ancient and obsolete machines alive and useful. So, i figure that when necessary, they would have no problems rigging up complex electrical systems to meet their needs.
Also definitely not all farmers are highly intelligent, but many definitely are.
Hey, mine know the electrical engineers as well, they don’t need to get funky themselves.