It’s easy to get a sense of where machinery companies see the future in agricultural machinery when you walk around the numerous halls of Agritechnica.

Obviously, a lot of companies are launching new tractors, loaders, harvesters, etc, but the more we saw, the more we noticed a few common trends at Agritechnica.

One of those is the electrification of farm vehicles and implements. Over the years, some companies have dipped their toe into this market, with some seeing greater success than others.

Fendt

Fendt displayed its production e100 Vario tractor.

Albeit a compact tractor, it still produces 67hp with the same functionality as a diesel-powered equivalent and comes with an infinitely variable transmission.

From the exterior, the tractor looks the same but under the bonnet, the engine has been replaced by a 100kWh battery. When fully charged, it stores enough power for four hours’ work with at average workload.

Avant

The compact loader company Avant demonstrated its electric articulated loader with impressive performance.

With a lift capacity of 900kg, the Avant e6 is fitted with a 6kW motor for driving the machine and a 2kW motor for operating the loader. These are powered from the 288Ah lithium battery. When using a rapid charge system, this battery can be recharged in one hour.

Weidemann

German company Weidemann held live demonstrations of their remote-controlled dumper.

Weighing in at 250kg, the intelligent multifunctional partner (IMP) also has a front linkage for operating small implements such as blades, brushes or scrapers.

Running time is two to five hours, depending on load, and the maximum speed is 7km/h. Hopper capacity is 220kg.

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