Tractors are the next vehicle to go all-electric, after cars, two-wheelers, three-wheelers, buses, and mini trucks. Mr. Nitin Gadkari, the Minister of Road Transport and Highways, has announced that a battery-electric tractor will be launched in the coming days, lowering the overall cost of farm output.
The minister declined to name the manufacturer that will debut the electric tractor, adding that launch dates and legalities are still being finalized. While electric tractors will require a lot of power to do traditional tasks like ploughing and tilling, Gadkari said that they can also be helpful in transporting farm produce from the fields to the market.
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‘If a farmer has to deliver 300 kg of his produce to the market, he will have to pay ₹200. In order to bring down the farmers’ burden, I will be launching an electric tractor in the market in the next few days,’ Gadkari stated at the HDFC Ergo General Insurance EV Conference last week.
The cost of agricultural products has risen dramatically in recent months as the cost of diesel has surpassed $100 per litre in several parts of the country. Electric tractors are expected to be the most cost-effective substitute for traditional diesel-powered tractors due to their low costs.
Sonalika Tractors, manufactured in Punjab, is the only tractor business in India to have commercially released an electric tractor. Sonalika unveiled Tiger Electric in December 2020, with an introductory price of 5.99 lakh. The Tiger Electric, which is powered by an 11kW engine and has a lift capability of 500kg, is used for a range of tasks including spraying, grass cutting, rotavator, and trolley pulling.
Escorts announced in January that it had got a certificate from the Central Farm Machinery Training and Testing Institute, Budni, for their electric tractor, which also meets the CMVR (Central Motor Vehicle Rules, 1989) requirements. Escorts, on the other hand, has yet to commercialize the product.
Mahindra & Mahindra and TAFE, India’s two largest tractor manufacturers, who together control about 60% of the domestic tractor market, have yet to reveal their exact intentions for electric tractors. M&M, on the other hand, plans to introduce electric tractors under its own brand and the Swaraj brand by the financial year 2026.
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According to the database provided by the Tractor and Mechanisation Association, India’s tractor market grew by 16 percent to 8.59 lakh units from January to November this year, up from 7.41 lakh units in the same period last year. The year 2021 is expected to be the best in the industry’s history.
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