The push for alternative engines in tractors as prices continue to climb

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The push for alternative engines in tractors as prices continue to climb

Record fuel prices have an equipment manufacturer studying alternative engines for farmers and ranchers.

Daryl Theis, Head of Sales and Marketing with CLAAS North America, says the cost and emissions of a diesel machine could create a market for electric engines. “As infrastructure develops, certainly we’ll see more and more opportunities for electric. It’s going to be one of those slow races, it won’t be a sprint. It will certainly be a marathon.”

He tells Brownfield technology and infrastructure are the biggest challenges for development. “None of these farmers or very few of these farmers have charging stations or thinks like that on their farm,” he says. “You can think about a machine to run what may be 12 to 18 hours a day and getting that charge and stopping to charge would be a pretty significant challenge and hurdle.”

Until then, Theis says a more fuel-efficient diesel engine is possible, but usually it’s designed individually for a specific job. “It all kind of works together, but ultimately it has to have better fuel efficiency. It really starts with what we call top-tier engineering to ensure that design on the front end, so we don’t have to compensate for horsepower on the backend.”

Earlier this week, CLAAS announced it’s giving farmers a chance to fuel their fleet by giving away $10,000 in farm diesel fuel. Farmers can register to win through July 31.

Daryl Theis with CLAAS North America:

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