ELECTRIC AGRICULTURE
650V
The electromotive force
in Fendt’s e100 Vario
lithium-ion
battery pack
iVTInternational.com November 2019 43
With the requirement to
reduce vehicle emissions
underpinned by food production’s
pivotal role in the carbon cycle, the
need to minimise agriculture’s
carbon footprint is driving
development of electri cation in
agricultural vehicles.
However, in an industry where
there is o en a need to work in
enclosed buildings as well as out in
the elds – sometimes late at
night in populated areas – there
are other bene ts to machines that
produce zero emissions at source
and little in the way of noise. As
such, the perceived advantages of
farm vehicles powered by electric
drive systems – to which can be
added reduced maintenance and
elimination of the need for fuel,
diesel exhaust uid and engine oil –
are growing.
Fendt and John Deere
Electrically powered tractors are still
some way from full commercial
production but some manufacturers,
notably John Deere and AGCO’s
Fendt business, are advanced along
the development path. Unveiled at
Agritechnica 2017, Fendt’s e100
Vario tractor, a number of example
models of which are in use around
the world, uses a 650V lithium-ion
battery pack producing 100kWh to
provide the tractor with 50kW
(67hp) power output. Charge-tocharge
work time is up to ve
hours, with recharging via either
a standard 400V electrical supply
or a supercharging option with direct
voltage that charges to 80% capacity
in 40 minutes.
e e100 incorporates a new type
of thermal management which
signi cantly improves energy
e ciency. A regulated electrical heat
pump controls the cab climate as well
as dissipating heat generated by the
battery and electronics. Not only can
the driver monitor the tractor’s
energy management and battery
information from the cab, but wireless
data transfer allows a manager or
owner to do the same via smartphone.
One of the e100 Vario’s key
features is that it can also power
/iVTInternational.com