DOT sales start
Does the robot tractor unleash a Tesla hype?
The revolutionary agricultural robot DOT goes on sale. The creator, the Canadian Seedmaster, has started a program. Anyone who pays $1.000 reserves a spot on the waiting list and can start working with a DOT robot from 2019.
The action by Seedmaster from Canada is very reminiscent of the way Tesla is in the market. Even before their new Model 3 electric car hit the market, it took in $325 million. Interested customers were eager to get a model reserve and would happily pay a $1.000 down payment.
1.000
dollar
In the end, some 518.000 cars were reserved, good for more than $14 billion in sales. CEO Elon Musk announced that more than 1 year later, 63.000 people had canceled their spot. The building of the car is seriously delayed. Yet it remains an impressive piece of marketing.
Book for 2019
The people behind DOT also apply the same marketing. For 1.000 Canadian dollars, converted €624, you can reserve a spot on the waiting list. You will receive a DOT robot (at the earliest) in 2019, but you can also subscribe to the 2022 list. A maximum of 10 robots can be reserved per registration.
The final costs for a DOT robot remain in the dark. This depends on the number of registrations; It probably won't be 500.000, but even 5.000 orders yields a nice starting capital of more than €3 million. A clever trick, when it works. Especially when you consider that DOT has only shuffled around at a number of agricultural shows. For €624 you can't fall for a break, can you?
International interest
The manufacturer keeps the numbers limited. A volume of 5.000 vehicles is probably not intended. How many there will be has not been disclosed. If you fall outside the user group, you will get the investment back and canceling in the meantime is also possible. Interested parties from abroad can also register. It is not clear from the general terms and conditions where DOT draws the line.
What makes the DOT concept interesting is the fact that the inventors are abandoning the traditional tractor concept. The U-shaped robot can handle a seed drill, field sprayer and transfer truck, among other things. However, you also have to buy it from DOT. The existing machinery is largely worthless, although the manufacturer believes that the vehicle can also pull all kinds of simple machines.
2 versions
The intended vehicle weighs 4 tons, has a 174 hp Cummins diesel on board and has a working width of 5,5 meters. By using at least 2, you only partially lose capacity, the inventors think. There are 2 versions available; a row-crop model with 300 tires or a wide model with 520 tires. If the company size grows, you simply purchase more robots. Heavier tractors and wider machines are then superfluous.
During the interview with Boerenbusiness marketing manager Cory Beaujot let it be known that it has not set its eyes directly on Europe. Nevertheless, DOT attaches great value to the opinion of European farmers; it does see opportunities for the Russian and Ukrainian grain plains. Transport width plays less of a role there. Last month, the Australian company SwarmFarm Robotics entered the news† This company is seeking $14 million in investment to make its autonomous sprayer a reality.
Niels van der Boom
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