Product focus: FT25G electric tractor

WORDS: STEVEN HAYNES, TRACTOR SALES MANAGER

Launched in 2020, the Farmtrac FT25G is the very first all-electric compact tractor to enter the market.

Originally shown as a concept in 2018, the tractor received significant attention from around the world. Customers were keen to look at greener options for the more traditional compact tractor.

From the start, design engineers at Farmtrac were keen to ensure that this tractor would be as good, if not better than its Diesel counterpart, whilst ensuring there are no downsides to its operation in the field.

So in terms of its look and feel, the tractor from the outside looks very much the same as the Diesel Farmtrac equivalent, as from the operator seat backwards, the two tractors are almost identical.

Since its launch, the FT25G has been well received in the market by customers from a wide range of applications. From the private home owner, to the fruit farmer, schools, indoor sports pitches and commercial users working in areas with strict emission standards. The FT25G truly has benefitted such a variety of people.

The benefits from going electric include:

• Zero Emissions. Motor runs on battery power in place of a combustion engine, and produces no exhaust emissions.
• Minimal Noise & Vibration. With less noise and vibration, the operator can work for longer with less fatigue.
• High Energy Efficiency. In general, electric motors are more efficient than diesel engines, with power loss minimalised.
• Lower Operating Costs. Charging a tractor costs less than filling a tank with fuel.
• Lower Maintenance Costs. With less moving parts compared to a standard tractor, the electric version has significantly less wearing and service items. As a result of this, maintenance costs are much cheaper.

The 72V battery pack fitted to the tractor has a maximum run time of around six hours, and can be charged overnight using a domestic three pin socket for eight hours. The FT25G does not require any additional charging infrastructure to operate. This means that you can buy a tractor and use it straight away, without first having to purchase and fit additional charging sockets. Although energy costs are on the rise, charging a tractor overnight is still significantly cheaper than filling up on diesel.

Run time is a key consideration and to aid with this the design engineers have added additional features to the tractor. These include having progressive switch settings for the hydraulic motor. On a diesel tractor, the hydraulic pump is directly connected to the engine and is running at all times, including when the tractor is stationary. This causes huge amounts of wasted energy, fuel and increased noise. Whereas on the FT25G, we choose services we want to run and switch off what we don’t. For instance we can switch on the pump to provide oil flow directly to the steering system only, helping to minimise energy waste. Or, by the push of a button we can also take this a step further and provide oil to both the steering and rear hydraulic systems. Most of the time, the customer will only require oil to the steering system. So by having the machine designed to be selectable, we can shut off unnecessary systems to cut down on energy being wasted through the constant running of the pumps.

In addition to this, on the transmission system there is a speed dial on the dash. This allows the operator to adjust the speed of the main drive motor to conserve energy and provide greater efficiencies. In some scenarios such as towing a trailer, we really don’t need the motor to be running so fast, so we can dial back the speed and allow the transmission to work at a lower rpm. When we really need all the power that the tractor can offer, we can then adjust the speed dial from the operator seat and provide maximum torque.

The two above features can affect the run time of the tractor.

Another benefit of the electric vehicle is the instant torque provided by the tractor. Electric motors are very efficient in their use, and the power band used is much more useable through the range compared to a diesel engine. In field tests customers report that the electric FT25G can significantly out-perform a similar 25hp diesel tractor in heavy work load applications such as flail mowing, and tilling soil.

The final benefit is one that can’t be overlooked and this is running costs. The electric tractor has far fewer service items than a diesel tractor, with the electric motor requiring no maintenance at all.

Servicing is just reserved for the transmission system and regular greasing. Service costs are estimated to be at least 70% less than on a diesel engine. Meaning less cost and more runtime.

Farmtrac continue to develop the electric tractor platform with recent introductions to include the use of a front loader option. This allows customers to use their tractors for moving soil and loading tractors, further enhancing the usability of the machine.

Further enhancements have been planned, with Farmtrac committed to developing the electric platform into the future.

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