John Deere Introduces Battery-Powered Autonomous Electric Tractor

John Deere has developed an autonomous, all-electric agricultural machine. Its functionality has been successfully evaluated in test fields in Europe. This is part of what is being called  "SESAME 2 - Sustainable Energy Supply for Agricultural Machinery 2". It is part of the “GridCON 2 Project”.

SESAME 2 combines the results of previous innovations with a battery-electric tractor approach. An energy module with a total capacity of 1.000 kWh is installed in it. This allows the tractor to work productively for a full day without load, depending on usage.

Furthermore, offboarding of electrical power of up to 1.000 kW for electrified implements or other machines is possible. Due to the power density of the electric motors, the power of the tractor system increases significantly compared to the standard platform, resulting in greater productivity. The electric tractor can be coupled to a completely wireless cabin, allowing it to also be operated manually.

SESAME 2 represents the consistent development of battery-electric agricultural machines to enable agriculture free from harmful gas emissions into the atmosphere. With this, John Deere contributes to the sustainable and efficient use of resources.

Electrification and automation are already important themes in agricultural developments. Driven by the transformation of the automobile industry and legal regulations regarding combustion-powered vehicles, machine electrification becomes more important for agricultural machinery manufacturers. A fundamental aspect of this strategy is the use of electricity, as it minimizes -- for farmers -- the impacts of rising fuel prices.