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French startup Seederal recently unveiled its first electric tractor prototype, just a year after announcing its first round of funding.
Seederal prototype with a capacity of 160 hp. will serve as a technology demonstrator that the company says will help accelerate development of the industry's first long-range electric tractor. With the ability to operate around the clock during busy planting and harvesting seasons, Seederal's investors believe their tractor can help farmers take real steps toward decarbonizing their farms.
Seederal's website claims that the tractor's unique transmissionless design will allow it to run continuously for 8-12 hours on a single charge.
"We had to completely rethink the tractor, we're not just replacing the heat engine with an electric one," explains engineer Arthur Rivoal, co-founder and chief technical officer of Seederal.
According to him, electric tractors can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 15-20 tons per unit per year, which is equivalent to the annual emissions of 17 cars traveling 12 km per year.
In April, Seederal raised €11 million to further accelerate the development of its technical team for the development of electric tractors. Additional engineering staff will allow work on the battery capacity to deliver on the promise of a full day of use on a single charge and the ability to charge the battery from 0 to 100% in just two hours.
