In a move set to align with a brand new state mandate to transition to a zero-emission off-road equipment and vehicle fleet by 2035, the City of Berkeley, California becomes the first to take delivery of a a 70 hp Monarch MK-V electric tractor.
It’s been a rough week for fans of electric farm tractors, with news that California-based Solectrac has been evicted from their Sonoma County R&D facility and word that a number of ag equipment dealers have soured on the brand, stating that, “(the Solectrac) is a nice tractor but really about a 75 horsepower tractor is what people look at.”
It looks as if someone at Monarch agreed, because their electric tractor is out there with 70 all-electric hp and enough quick torque for the brand’s reps to have the option to confidently claim that their horses are greater than most. And, almost as if in direct response to the comments from dealers, they appear to have business and public sector customers ready to give them a shot — starting with the City of Berkeley.
“We (City of Berkeley) have been slowly but surely purchasing electrical equipment for our operations,” says Melissa Marizette-Green, Senior Landscape Gardener Supervisor, City of Berkeley Parks Division. “The MK-V is going to be the largest piece.”
It’s value noting, too, that Marizette-Green selected the Monarch tractor intentionally, and never just because it was electric. “We had seen another electric tractor here in California, but it didn’t meet our needs,” she explains, stopping just short of calling out Solectrac by name. “That tractor was not powerful enough to use the attachments that we use in our operations. The Monarch was everything we needed.”
The City of Berkeley was able to make the most of California’s Clean Off-Road Equipment (CORE) incentive program, which enables customers to purchase the Monarch MK-V for a minimum of 65% off the retail price, effectively making its purchase price equal to a similar-sized diesel tractor while offering significantly reduced operating costs.
The Monarch MK-V is currently in production on the Foxconn-owned Lordstown factory in Ohio, with early deliveries reaching customers as I type this. The Monarch electric tractor offers a proven runtime of up to 14 hours, swappable li-ion battery technology, compatibility with a number of current, industry-standard implements, and a collection of autonomous tech.
Electrek’s Take
While this is sweet news for electric tractors and, I feel, humanity and agriculture as-a-whole, it makes me a bit sad for Solectrac. I’m an enormous fan of those guys, and have been a fan of their founder, Steve Heckeroth, for the reason that days of US Electricar.
I used to be invited to moderate a hearth chat on the topic of electric tractors ultimately 12 months’s Electrify Expo Industry Day event in Long Beach, CA with Monarch CEO, Praveen Penmetsa, and Steve Heckeroth that focused on agriculture’s role in reducing global greenhouse gas emissions.
It’s titled “Field of Dreams: From the Farm to the Open Road, and Higher,” and you possibly can watch it for yourself on YouTube, below.
PS: you’re incorrect. The Stetson was a incredible alternative.
Credit : electrek.co
