Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2023 - 28

ORIGINAL
EQUIPMENT
CNH introduces battery-electric, autonomous-ready tractor and
a more-powerful LNG prototype
CNH Industrial said
that its new T4
Electric Power tractor
can put in a full-day's
work without an
additional charge in
most use cases.
CNH Industrial recently introduced
what it says is the world's first autonomous-ready,
battery-electric light utility
tractor at its Tech Day in Phoenix,
Arizona. The New Holland T4 Electric
Power is another step in the company's
vision for extensive electrification and
autonomy across its lineup.
The company said production would
begin in late 2023 on the four-wheeldrive
tractor. Its e-motor provides a
continuous 75 hp (55 kW) and peaks at
120 hp (89 kW), with max torque of 236
lb-ft (440 Nm) and a top speed of 25
mph (40 km/h). All those performance
figures - which are comparable to the
many internal-combustion (IC) tractors
in the light utility category - start with
a 95-kWh battery pack. Engineers said
the tractor's battery can power a full
day of work for many mission profiles.
That's largely because power is used
on-demand and never at idle as with an
IC-powered rig. If a mid-use charge is
required, the battery can be charged to
100% capacity in about an hour with
standard fast-charging systems.
Outlets on the tractor can power daily
tasks such as welding and drilling,
and it can use traditional mechanical,
hydraulic and power take-off (PTO) implements.
" It is suited to mixed farm,
livestock, municipal, orchard and spe28
February 2023
cialty applications, " said Marc Kermisch,
CNH Industrial's chief digital and information
officer.
The 90% solutions
The e-tractor is noticeably quiet - the
company says it is up to 90% quieter
than diesel-powered machines thanks
to no diesel clatter and extensive engineering
efforts to damp vibration. This
means it can be used closer to livestock
without disturbing the animals, as well
as inside barns and other buildings and
when municipal noise regulations might
prevent it, such as at night.
The company's representatives
said the T4
Electric also cuts operating
costs by up to 90%,
the bulk of which is the
result of eliminating the
cost of diesel fuel, DEF
and maintenance.
Though the company
declined to name a price
for the tractor, Scott
Wine, the company's
CEO, said subsidies
would put it within reach
of many farmers. " The
California market, with
its strong subsidies, is
attractive to bringing
electrified and autonomous products
quickly, " he said.
Autonomy for anybody
What makes the T4 Electric a world first,
the company asserted, is its autonomous-ready
features. The tractor can be
operated using an app on Android or
iOS devices, and up to six machines can
be operated together, avoiding the others'
path automatically during wholefield
operations. The tractor uses both
sensors and cameras to monitor a
360-degree area to avoid obstacles, including
animals or people. Redundant
The T4 Electric produces power that fits comfortably in the lightutility
tractor market that ranges from roughly 55 hp to 80 hp.
TRUCK & OFF-HIGHWAY ENGINEERING
BOTH IMAGES: SAE/CHRIS CLONTS
Truck & Off-Highway Engineering - February 2023

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