When Steve Heckeroth finished fine-tuning his first Solectrac eUtility and eFarmer prototypes, he loaded the pair on a trailer and hauled them 6,400 kilometres to the Nebraska Tractor Testing Lab.
The 40 horsepower eUtility was a conversion of an existing diesel tractor imported from India. Subsequent eUtility tractors are being shipped from India in their bare-bones form without engines and related ancillaries.
“The Solectrac tractors are zero emission and therefore are the harbingers of a potentially revolutionary change in agricultural tractor power,” Roger Hoy, professor and director at the Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory, said after supervising tests of the two Solectrac tractors.
“Testing revealed that electric motor power could be successfully delivered through the power take-off with adequate power for the intended use. Overall, battery power was very impressive.
“However, for commercial viability, sufficient power to allow eight to 12 hours continuous operation is a need that can be met as battery technology continues to improve.
“Solectrac’s electric tractors showed a lot of potential for future farming applications. Solectrac represents the very future of agriculture, the start of an electric tractor revolution. You have my full support.”
