Written by Alistair Chambers
The all-electric Fendt tractor has officially arrived on the Irish market for the first time.
Agriland I was introduced to the e107 Vario currently at the ICE showroom in Punchestown.
Sean Gorman of Fendt gave Agriland I had an exclusive first look at the e107 Vario and had the opportunity to take it for a short spin around the lanes and fields of the Kildare venue.
Here’s how it gets started – Driving a Fendt electric vehicle is surprisingly familiar to anyone who has ever driven diesel tractors of the same brand; All switches, levers and displays have the same function as any Fendt tractor.
It’s really the same when driving away with the slight whine of the engine rather than the noise of a diesel engine.
The only change is that the engine has been replaced with a 100 kWh battery and an up to 66 kW (90 hp) motor.
The engine can be run with three different power settings ranging from 68 hp to 90 hp. Obviously, using the engine in full power mode will drain the battery faster than the low settings.
The little Fendt according to the numbers should be able to run for four hours straight without stops such as pulling a cylinder or the like – thus matching up to about 30% of the diesel tank in a petrol-powered version.
So, if your work consists of batches of this length, the Fendt baby may be just right for you.
Find it
According to Sean Gorman, the e107 Vario market is more concentrated in the county council, municipal, construction and horticulture market sectors rather than the larger acreage “standard” agricultural sector.
Low exhaust emissions mean this tractor can be used indoors without the need for serious ventilation.
There may be a market for this tractor on farms that produce their own electricity on-site either via roof-mounted solar panels or other forms of renewable energy making it convenient to charge and cost effective.
But in the driver’s seat there is not very much difference from any other Fendt tractor except for a small foot-controlled button on the floor which can be used to retard the tractor instead of the brake pedal.
When used, this can replenish the battery, and when doing high-speed road work, it can greatly extend the range if used correctly.
At slow speed, regeneration will be less but may improve working time over an extended period.
The Fendt electric tractor charges via the industry standard CCS plug. This enables fast charging of up to 80 kW DC and relies on 22.7 or 2 kW supply via an AC charger.
At maximum speed, the battery can be charged from 20 to 80% in 45 minutes or enough time for a cup of tea and a sandwich during lunchtime. Saying that, there aren’t too many chargers that work that fast in rural areas.
22 or 7 kW charging will likely be set up in the yard, and additional downtime or overnight charging will be the norm.
The Fendt e107 Vario is a fantastic piece of technology and as usual with Fendt tractors, everything is well thought out and easy to use once you get the hang of it.
The electric powertrain is very smooth and quiet and produces very good torque numbers for power output.
As a ‘standard’ farm tractor, the Fendt electric tractor won’t make sense for most people, but for some specialist operators and businesses that need to show off their green credentials, it could be a perfect fit for their business.
