Dutch firm develops unmanned electric tractor

An engineering firm in the Netherlands has come up with an unmanned tractor concept designed for horticulture that runs on electric power and is capable of operating without a driver in the cab.

Named the eTrac-20, the tractor features three wheels – one at the front and two at the rear – each equipped with an electrical hub motor.

It has been designed to carry out simple operations such as spraying and mowing.

According to Farmertronics, the first prototype will be controlled manually by a remote radio joystick, while the second prototype will have GPS-RTK functionality for precision farming applications.

The first full electric model will be equipped with a 20kWh battery pack while its successor will feature a hydrogen fuel cell for range extension.

The battery supplies 5kW of power to each motor, as well as to the PTO to drive implements. When fully charged, the battery can power the eTrac-20 for two to three hours.

As it uses electricity and hydrogen to operate, the eTrac-20 does not use fossil fuels nor does it emit harmful greenhouse gas.

The innovative workhorse is the brainchild of Dutch engineer (and farmer's son) Thieu Berker, who set up his company Farmertronics to investigate the automation needs of the agriculture industry.

"This tractor should be beneficial not only for farmers but also for the whole society in the long term," he says.

"By using renewable energy instead of fossil fuels, climate change may be stopped one day."

The compact eTrac-20 measures 2.5m in length, 1.2 to 1.4m in width and 1.25m in height, while it weighs under 1000kg. This helps reduce soil compaction, Berker says.

The elimination of a driver's cab and the driver altogether not only help reduce operation costs but also increase efficiency by freeing up the farmer's time for more important jobs.

The unit has an estimated sale price of 80,000 euros (approximately AUD$ 118,273)

Farmertronics plans to commence work on the eTrac-20 soon and is currently seeking investments from interested parties to fund the engineering and building of the first prototype. It says an initial sum of 250,000 euros (approximately AUD $369,604) is needed to kick-start the project.

The company will be joining forces with a number of Dutch specialist companies to work on the different components of the machine, including the design, battery and unmanned platform, in hopes of rolling out the first prototype by 2017.

Farmertronics aims to debut the prototype at the Netherlands' largest agricultural fair, Groen Techniek Holland, in September 2017.