California Company Says the Future of Tractors Is Electric

Mani Iyer thinks it’s the right time and he’s targeting the right market segment with the right products to bring battery powered tractors to the forefront as a solution. 

“This is the perfect time to launch a truly renewable, electric powered tractor, which is repowered with solar energy,” he says. “These tractors have a lot of advantages, and they perform much better than diesel.” 

Iyer joined Solectrac as CEO in the middle of 2021. He’s spent nearly 30 years in the ag machinery market including nine years as president and CEO of Mahindra North America. Solectrac is a California-based company focusing on battery powered tractors–specifically focusing on the 70-hp and below market. 

What's the best power ranges for battery-powered tractors? 

So far the company has sold 50 plus tractors—mostly into applications for vineyards, specialty crops and rural lifestyle customers. 

“We have a sweet spot with three products in the lineup: 30 hp, 40 and 70 hp,” Iyer says. 

He says the company has introduced first generation products in each category, however, each is going through upgrades to expand their use with attachments and accessories. Standard loaders and backhoes can be mounted on the tractors, and the three-point hitch allows for all standard implements to be used. Additionally, the 40 hp will be upgraded to 50 hp and additional versions of current products are on the drawing board.

“Customers have been extremely excited—and I appreciate their patience in our roll out,” Iyer says. “Tesla has proven how a product and a company can scale. And thanks to Tesla for showing us the way to make people believe in these products. Rural lifestyle customers are very close to automotive customers—so there’s been a lot to learn from.” 

What are the greatest advantages for battery-powered tractors?

Iyer says the coined term around Solectrac’s performance is “Quiet Power,” as the electric-powered motors can provide up to 75 hp equivalent of diesel power with only 65 decibels—which is about the same sound range as a normal conversation. The Lithium iron phosphate batteries last three to eight hours, depending on the application, and the tractors can be ordered with an optional exchangeable battery pack. 

“There’s no noise. We aren’t generating any pollutants. And you have full torque at zero RPM,” Iyer says. “You have power and torque across the power scale. Operators are getting close to 90% power at the wheels.” 

He says customers in applications where noise levels are sensitive—vineyards, municipal maintenance, equestrians etc—users are boasting about the benefits of being able to operate at the low noise levels. 

“For rural lifestyle customers, riding the tractor is like therapy. They love spending time on their machine and on their land. And with our tractors, they can really enjoy what they are doing without generating loud engine noises or breathe pollutants,” Iyer says. 

Iyer says in addition to the environmental and power benefits, the Solectrac tractors are assembled in the U.S. with a t percentage of their components made domestically and batteries packs created in their factory. In February 2022, the company is planning to move to a facility five times bigger than its current factory. 

“We want to deliver tractors with strong performance, high efficiency, low operating cost, better for the environment, charged renewably, and are quiet and safe,” he says. 

How much do battery-powered tractors cost?

Prices for the Solectrac tractors can be expected to be 15% to 20% more than a diesel model, but Iyer says the goal is to provide a return on the cost difference in less than two years, and operators save money over time not buying diesel & oil and they can use their existing attachments.

As for a future with higher horsepower models, Iyer says it’s in the making, understanding how big of a battery pack is required for high horsepower applications and performance. 

“But for chicken farms, horse farms, hog farms, using this tractor for their purposes and their property—there is no reason why this shouldn’t perform for them,” he says. “Failure is an option, but fear is not an option for us. We will keep going and innovate daily on these solutions for a cleaner, healthier and safer world.” 

In June 2021 Solectrac was acquired by Ideanomics, which is a company that focuses on renewable energy and electric vehicles. Solectrac was founded by Steve Heckeroth in 2012.