Kubota Works Toward Hydrogen-Powered Tractor

Alternative fuel vehicles have become a fact of life and constitute an important part of technology’s response to climate change and environmental damage. Kubota’s production of a new hydrogen tractor is an eco-friendly change that holds great promise for farmers nationwide.

Coming Soon

According to Kubota, new hydrogen tractors could begin rolling off the line in 2025, though it’s believed a prototype model could be ready by 2023. Medium-to-large fuel cell tractors planned for production would generate from 50 to 100 horsepower and run longer than traditional models. Cost is not known yet, but it’s been speculated that the more environmentally friendly hydrogen tractors could cost as much as 40 percent more than diesel-fueled tractors.

For Kubota and dealers in the new and used tractor sales Ohio markets, it’s a price worth paying for emissions reduction and compliance with national and international regulations concerning net-zero carbon emissions. Each tractor would house a fuel cell, which is smaller and lighter than an electric battery, and produce power longer than a battery.

Logistics

Of course, a hydrogen tractor would appear to present some notable challenges when it comes to keeping them running. For instance, there seem to be no plans for widespread facilities where one’s hydrogen tractor could be refueled conveniently, as with the electric charging stations one sees popping up nationwide.

Kubota ingenuity produced an ideal solution for farmers around the nation. Because Kubota tractors tend to be used in static locations over the long-term, the solution is to simply ship hydrogen tanks to farmers using the vehicles, wherever they may be.

An Efficient Solution

It is hoped that introduction of a hydrogen tractor, the world’s first, will prove as popular as electric vehicles have. The smaller fuel cell, which requires less room than a battery, potentially represents an even more efficient source of power than EVs. And prospects for success in Western markets would seem promising given the burgeoning demand for zero-emissions technology in America, Canada, and Europe.
Hydrogen may be the best choice for keeping tractors out working in the fields since hydrogen vehicles take less time to refuel and last longer at greater ranges. And of course hydrogen’s renewability is unparalleled – it is the most abundant of all the elements.