Around six percent of agricultural emissions are caused by the use of diesel fuel in agricultural machinery. In order to decarbonize machine use, manufacturers are developing alternative drive options. The first models for electric tractors are already on the market. However, the acquisition costs are still high compared to diesel tractors and the operating costs and environmental impact have hardly yet been investigated to date. Based on current market data, the short study shows the advantages and disadvantages of electric tractors from a cost and environmental perspective. 

The result: Smaller e-tractors (40 kW engine power) can already achieve cost advantages over their service life from the perspective of the vehicle owner. Larger models (55 kW engine power) are still in the market launch phase and (still) cost around twice as much as diesel tractors. From the owner's perspective, the costs would therefore have to be reduced, which could be achieved through start-up financing in the market launch phase, for example.

With a charged electricity mix with a high proportion of renewable energies, the greenhouse gas emissions of e-tractors decrease. From a share of renewables of around 60 percent in the public electricity mix – which is expected to be reached in the mid-2020s in Germany – or a purely renewable electricity supply, such as via biogas generation close to the farm, e-tractors are more climate-friendly than diesel tractors. At 2.4 to 3.4 times higher, the mineral resource consumption of electric tractors is significantly higher than that of diesel tractors. Battery production is a key lever for reducing the impact. Longer lifetimes, less energy-intensive production based on renewable energies, modified cell chemistry and recycling and second-life concepts are possible starting points.

• A data compilation in Excel format with prepared market data on e-tractor models as well as overviews of cost and environmental analyses can be found >>here<<. 
• The bachelor thesis “Use of e-tractors in agriculture. An economic analysis using the total-cost-of-ownership method” (translated title) by Mona Kampe can be downloaded >>here<< (in German).