Kubota has designed an electric vehicle to handle ag jobbing with a three-point hitch to carry out all current implement tasks
Always a company that gives the impression of wanting to keep up with the Joneses has seen Kubota release a prototype electric vehicle the company expects to eventually make available to farmers.
Farmers in the US in particular are getting very used to the aggressive stance that Kubota is taking within that marketplace, as they witness many new factory builds springing up. Now an electric farm vehicle revealed to handle all jobbing work is no surprise.
Senior Technology expert for Kubota North America Brett McMickell had this to say. “I am excited to help unveil our New Agri Concept, which showcases our design philosophy and builds on Kubota’s long legacy of technology innovation for the betterment of society.
“This concept vehicle, as shown in the immersive video, displays the future potential of fusing digital and physical to provide complete solutions for our customers. Many technologies, such as AI, connectivity, and autonomy, need to come together in order to realise Kubota’s vision of providing solutions across the food value chain, from growers to consumers.
“Kubota now provides more than a vision, but an invitation to be part of the future where technology works seamlessly with our customers to create a more sustainable and efficient society,” Brett McMickell concluded.
Kubota North America has based its future on continuing to expand through building more facilities to advance manufacturing and add more jobs to its research and development innovation centres, and equipment testing sites in the US.
It has also become elementary for Kubota to flex its muscle in the international marketplace, always ready to keep up with industry leaders as witnessed with its LXe-261 electric tractor reveal for the European market in September 2022. A model slated to be made available for a long-term rental service for local municipalities in Europe in April 2023.
The LXe-261 electric tractor was a good deal for many Councils as diesel powered models were banned in Paris France. Already used to running Kubota branded tractors the change-over would be a simple transition and the option to hire a tractor for a two to five-year term was also appealing.
The ready marketplace for this 4WD 19.1kW (26hp) electric tractor with a hydrostatic transmission and running on a Lithium-ion battery is for park work such as mowing and hauling.
There are currently two LXe-261 electric tractors on test in the UK. However, mass production models are still to materialise.
New Agri Concept to save face
Kubota has never hidden its ambitious drive to become more than a medium-priced maker of orange compact equipment that is readily placed on farms and residential properties, with an ambition to add construction sites to that portfolio in more recent times.
Just how far the company has made inroads into higher powered tractor models and construction equipment may be a sore point for Kubota executives, but perhaps this foray into an electric all-rounder will gain the esteem they so eagerly crave.
The American cash splash from Kubota just may have paid for itself as this New Agri Concept is from the brain bank gathered by the Kubota North American division.
According to the inventors, this fully electric New Agri Concept is designed for flexibility and to support a wide range of tasks, but you can’t help thinking is has more of a hankering toward agriculture than anything else.
The vehicle’s six independent drive motors and what is a standard three-point hitch allow the operator to use it to run many existing farm implements including all haymaking operations and cultivation seeding.
Kubota engineers wanting to show their advanced design expertise has allowed for fast charging from 10 to 80% in less than six minutes to reduce any downtime and allow the vehicle to operate across a long day.
The electric drives also entice the vehicle to run into the night due to its no-noise operation allowing the New Agri Concept to operate in high-density residential or small-acreage grower settings on a 24/7 basis.
Key technologies included with the New Agri Concept highlighted are automatic data collection, real-time monitoring, AI identifying potential issues, automation addressing labour challenges, water management automation, and a data platform built to enhance productivity.
There is no point in trying to drag down on more details such as estimated speed, drive and pulling power as the New Agri Concept is currently more pretty than practical. But if the vehicle progresses further than some of the stylish concept vehicles from the high-powered makers, that have never actually ventured into the marketplace, that information will need to be revealed by Kubota.
For now, we have a fully electric New Agri Concept vehicle that Kubota wants to become part of its 2030 vision of a more holistic approach to innovation and technology integration.
If you missed the video link near the start of the copy on Kubota’s New Agri Concept vehicle, you can access it here.
And for the record here is the latest release video on the Kubota LXe-261 electric tractor.
