Ask Steve Heckeroth how long he’s been marketing electric tractors, and the answer brings a surprise: “I’ve been selling them for about 25 years,” says Heckeroth, CEO and founder of Solectrac. “I was the only one in the world making electric tractors at one time.”

Solectrac, based in California, recently got a cash infusion from Ideanomics, which is allowing the company to scale up demand. And to build demand, the company reduced the cost of the initial deposit to put in your order for one of these new machines.

Like Tesla, Solectrac takes a small deposit, so farmers can share their intention to buy one of these tractors. That dropped to $1,000, which Heckeroth explains was to allow customers to express their interest and intent — and they did.

“We’ve got over $1 million in back orders at this point,” Heckeroth says.

He acknowledges that being an early innovator of electric tractors did put him on what he calls the “bleeding edge” of the industry. What started as a business to electrify Porsche sports cars evolved into a tractor business, in part due to battery weight issues. Tractors need weight for traction and performance; sports cars don't.

The move to tractors in the early days meant taking gray-market compact machines and swapping out their compact diesel engines for electric power. Heckeroth remembers the early days, when people would commission him to convert machines, including an executive at a major manufacturer. But building that demand was slow.

More players, more opportunity

To be serious about the electric tractor business, Heckeroth knew he needed a partner that could provide the frame and transmission while he could provide the electric parts. India-based tractor maker Farmtrac became that source. And today, Solectrac has three tractor models — the compact electric tractor at 30 hp; the eUtility at 40 hp; and the eFarmer, which is a 30-hp machine that brings the term “high visibility” to a new level.

“We’re working on a 70-hp machine, too,” Heckeroth says, noting that buyers are looking for more power. The first model of that bigger vineyard machine is in the Solectrac facility.

And while Heckeroth and Solectrac have been toiling away over this time, new players have entered the market as interest in the electric equipment has grown. Heckeroth points to other players in India, work in Europe and new startups entering the U.S. market. “I think the more the merrier at this point,” he notes.

Often, a lone pioneer trying to develop a market has a harder time, since buyers wonder about the viability of the company — and even the new business idea. With more electric-power, players joining the fray that can validate an industry.

The Solectrac machine brings something many buyers like — instant power. “In a diesel tractor, you have to get to 2,000 rpm to get that top torque,” Heckeroth says. “With an electric tractor, that power is there right away.”

He had a problem finding the right transmission for his machines, as the compact industry has moved over to hydrostat drive lines. “With hydrostats you have to idle, and that’s a big waste of energy,” he explains. “So, I went to India, where they make more tractors than anyone else in the world, and found a really great company that took over a Ford tractor factory when the British left. It’s a brand new 1990s transmission.”

That “1990s” transmission is a precision-made gear design, providing the machine with eight forward speeds including a creeper speed, where Heckeroth says the machine still delivers full torque. And in reverse? “It’s just a flip of the switch, so we’ve actually got nine speeds if you include reverse,” he says.

If you flip that switch, you’re going in reverse at whatever speed you were using going forward.

Electricity at work

The Solectrac battery approach includes a swappable battery, combined with an onboard battery. The two provide about six hours of performance; then you can switch in the swappable for another three hours of work — essentially getting a full day out of the machine.

The Compact Electric Tractor, or CET, delivers 30 hp with full torque through all speed ranges. The eUtility provides 40 hp. The eFarmer may be familiar to fans of the Allis-Chalmers G; they may recognize the approach of this machine, which has a very open frame. “This is the best cultivating tractor made, because you have total visibility in front of you,” Heckeroth notes.

Rising interest in electric tractors in specialty markets that are working to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to meet new consumer standards, is a growing opportunity. Add in that these tractors run much quieter, and that’s a plus for the employees who have to do the work.

The cost of the machines is about 20% higher than a traditional diesel machine, but Heckeroth says you make that up on much-reduced maintenance costs for upkeep, and lower operating costs. You can learn more at solectrac.com.