Dutch E-Tractor Now Available

Dutch E-Tractor Now Available ENERGY Alternative Fuels The Knegt all-electric tractor from the Netherlands is making inroads in North America The compact tractors are ideal for tight spaces have a tight turning radius and have a wide variety of attachments available “I think they’re a great fit for fruit and vegetable growers golf courses greenhouses and horse owners ” says Marty Philippi MAP Agri “These tractors will do anything a compact diesel will do but do it quietly and without exhaust ” MAP Agri is the North American distributor for Knegt all-electric tractors The company’s first imports have been marketed in Canada but the Ontario equipment dealer will soon add distribution to the U S Knegt tractors are available in 45 and 55 hp 4-WD models Options include a full cab half cab and open body types Both models are compatible with pto and hydraulic drive implements They offer both 540 and 1 000-rpm pto drives Front-end loaders are common attachments according to Peter Bouman Knegt However he adds configurations vary according to the end-user’s needs “Our tractors are versatile and used in different settings from greenhouses and turf maintenance to road construction ” he says “One advantage of an electric tractor over a diesel is the ability to run hydraulics at full capacity while running the tractor at idle speed ” he adds “An example is tilling in a greenhouse where ground speed is not critical but hydraulic speed is ” Mounting an extra battery is an increasingly popular option notes Bouman Batteries can be mounted to the front or rear of the tractor “It can extend tractor working time by an additional 4 hrs depending on the tasks performed ” he says Philippi explains that mounting an extra Knegt battery makes it easy to get even a full day of tillage done with the tractors With the company’s quick charger a battery will go from a 30 percent charge to 80 percent in 2 1/2 hrs “Use your extra battery for 3 1/2 hrs of hard work and draw it down to the critical level ” suggests Philippi “Drop it off at the charger and use your on-board battery for another 3 1/2 hrs By the time it’s down to the critical level the first battery has recharged When doing simple work like mowing you can get 6 hrs work out of just a single battery ” One concern with electric vehicles of every type is the impact of cold temperatures on batteries “Knegt is working on preconditioning batteries for much better power storage and starting in cold weather ” he says “I expect they’ll have a solution yet this year ” Lack of noise and exhaust gets most of the attention with electric vehicles However Philippi suggests anyone considering a compact tractor should look at costs per hr compared to diesel tractors “Electric tractors cost more upfront than a similar size diesel ” says Philippi “However an Iowa State University study says diesel tractors will cost around $5 25 per hr to operate while electric tractors cost only 75¢ per hr ” Knegt has a worldwide base price of €32 950 for its 45 hp model and €39 950 for its 55 hp model That equates to $48 000 and $58 209 CAD or $35 356 and $42 869 USD These prices don’t include shipping Contact: FARM SHOW Followup MAP Agri 114 Applewood St Suite 1 Plattsville Ontario Canada N0J 1S0 ph 519-830-7000; www mapagri ca or Knegt International Habraken 1207 5507 TB Veldhoven Nederland ph 31 40 25 58 416; info@knegt-international com; www knegt-international com

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