Watch: First look - electric Fendt tractor arrives in Ireland
By Alistair Chambers
A fully electric Fendt tractor has officially arrived on the Irish market for the first time.
Agriland caught up with the e107 Vario which is currently on site at the ICE expo in Punchestown.
Sean Gorman from Fendt gave Agriland an exclusive first look at the e107 Vario and I had the opportunity to take it for a short spin around the lanes and fields of the Kildare venue.
Here's how I got on - driving off in the electric Fendt is surprisingly familiar to anyone who has ever driven diesel powered tractors from the same brand; all the switches, levers and screens have the same functionality as any Fendt tractor.
It really is the same to drive apart from the slight whine of the motor instead of the noise of a diesel engine.
The only change is that the engine has been replaced by a 100kw/h battery and an up to 66kw (90hp) motor.
The motor can be run at 3 different power settings ranging from 68hp to 90hp. Obviously using the motor in full power mode would drain the battery faster than in the lower settings.
The little Fendt according to the figures should be able to work for four hours nonstop doing non pto work like pulling a roller or similar - therefore matching up to about 30% of a tank of diesel in a fuel powered version.
So, if your work consists of bursts of this length then maybe the baby Fendt might just be for you.
Fendt
According to Sean Gorman the market for the e107 Vario is more in the county council, municipal, construction and market gardening sectors rather than the larger acreage “standard” farming sector.
The lack of exhaust emissions means that this tractor can be used indoors without need for serious ventilation.
There may be a market for this tractor on farms that produce their own electricity on site whether by solar panels on a roof or other forms of renewable energy making it both convenient to charge and very cost effective.
But in the driver's seat there is very little difference from any other Fendt tractor except for a small foot-controlled button on the floor which can be used to retard the tractor instead of the brake pedal.
When used this can regenerate the battery, when doing hi-speed road work this can extend the range significantly if used correctly.
At slow speed the regeneration would be less but still may improve the work time over an extended period.
Charging the electric Fendt tractor is done via an industry standard CCS plug. This allows for fast charging at up to 80kw DC and depending on supply 22,7 or 2 kw via an AC charger.
At the fastest speed, the battery could be charged from 20-80% in 45 minutes or enough time for a cup of tea and a sandwich over lunch time. In saying that, there are not too many chargers working at that speed in rural areas.
It is more likely that either 22 or 7kw charging would be set up in the home yard, and top ups in down time or overnight charging would be the norm.
The Fendt e107 Vario is a brilliant piece of technology and as usual with Fendt tractors everything is very well thought out and easy to use once you become acclimatized to it.
The electric drivetrain is very smooth and quiet and produces very good torque figures for the power output.
As a “standard” farm tractor, the electric Fendt tractor would not make sense for most, but for some niche operators and companies needing to show their green credentials it may well be a perfect match to their business.
