Weather update Robot tractor
Driverless eTrac in the field in 2019
Farmertronics from Deurne wants to show a working prototype of their eTrac in September 2019. This narrow-gauge tractor is fully electrically powered via a 15 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery pack, which can later be doubled to a maximum of 30 kWh. However, there are still a number of hurdles to overcome.
In 2013, spiritual father Thieu Berkers started inventing a robot. This ultimately resulted in a 3-wheeled vehicle that can take over the role of a narrow-track tractor in orchards. The original plan was to run the vehicle on hydrogen, but Berkers dropped that. The fuel cell required for this is simply too expensive and the other required technology is very complex. Hydrogen tanks also take up a lot of space.
During a meeting on Saturday December 1, at the mechanization company M. Aldenzee LMB in Deurne, Farmertronics the first prototype. Ultimately, the mechanization company must also produce the tricycle. The goal is to start with 50 units, which can be built by 2023. At least that is the ambition, with the aim of further scaling up in subsequent years.
3 holy houses
Berkers is down-to-earth about the development of the eTrac: "It started with aerial cycling, but is now serious. I prefer not to talk about the obstacles to be overcome. A project like this needs incubation time. The eTrac does not have a diesel engine, PTO or hydraulics. I'm kicking down 3 holy houses. Tractors are emotion. The farmer needs a lot of buttons. We will have a working prototype in the field in September 2019. It will be launched during the Agrarische Dagen in Someren, after which the first copy goes into picking carts with fruit pulling (good for 1.200 kilos). This is the first serious test."
In addition to the technology, Berkers is also puzzling over the financing of his project. Construction started this year thanks to a subsidy from the Eindhoven Metropolitan Area. Now the company is looking for new funds. Agriculture Innovation Brabant (LIB), which the province of Noord-Brabant and ZLTO are behind, have meanwhile pledged €10.000 for further development. Berkers hopes that the municipality of Deurne will soon also want to contribute significantly.
- Thieu Berkers
The budget for 2019 is €50.000, with which the current prototype must be prepared for the market. The same amount was spent this year on the 'proof of concept'. Crowdfunding from the sector is not seen by the inventor as a solution. He hopes to acquire sufficient funds through several small subsidy pots, but emphasizes that it is not the intention to just absorb subsidies. Ultimately, the sector has to support the project.
The 3 Fs
The group for which Farmertronics presented the eTrac is called by Berkers 'family, fools and friends', that's where every new development starts. The reactions have been mixed. “The founding partners who have invested regret that hydrogen propulsion is not feasible for now,” he says. "With a 30 kWh battery pack, it can work for 8 hours, that is the aim. Users prefer to see 24 hours, but that is not realistic. The distance to the market is great. Installing a diesel generator to generate electricity is sometimes tempting", he sighs. "But. we stick to our basic choices."
The unmanned concept should make the eTrac attractive. However, there is a caveat. Version 1.0 is operated by joystick. The next copy will only become autonomous, with the help of rtk-gps and sensors. These are linked to an industrial PC in the vehicle.
Revenue model
Regardless of the company size, according to Berkers, all manufacturers struggle with these issues. Also the big tractor manufacturers, but they don't talk about it. "A flywheel effect is created from the automotive industry. Electrification will continue there. They have the law of large numbers, which is missing in the agricultural sector. Existing manufacturers are getting into trouble with their existing revenue model. The first electric tractors are now arriving, but they cost a lot of money I can tell you."
Niels van der Boom
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