Major changes ahead for NZ tractor market
In a move that is expected to have a significant impact in the New Zealand farm machinery supply sector, CNH is taking over importing and the distribution of its Case IH and New Holland tractor brands.
Further, the partnership is said to be an important step towards further enhancing long-term sustainability, enabling the world’s farmers and agribusinesses to realise profitable zero-emission farming.
Dubbed the world’s smartest, fully electric autonomous tractor, the new machine combines electrification, automation, machine learning, and data analysis, all combining “to enhance farmer’s existing operations, increase labour productivity and safety, and maximise yields to cut overhead costs and emissions”, the US firm says.
In terms of horsepower, the tractor’s electric drivetrain offers 40hp (30KW) of continuous power and short duration peak power up to 70hp (55KW).
The Monarch Tractor is 100% electric, with zero tailpipe emissions, while also offering the capability to perform as a powerful generator in the field. Operating time is claimed to be 10 hours and over, re-charge time four to five hours at 220V, and it has a 10-year battery guarantee.
The tractor can operate with or without a driver, performing pre-programmed tasks in the latter mode, or an operator can use interactive automation features including Gesture and Shadow modes to have the tractor follow a worker on the job.
Safety features include roll and collision prevention, a vision-based PTO safety system and 360° cameras, while connections to smart devices allow users to receive tractor alerts, updates on current micro-weather conditions, operations reports, data collection, analysis, and storage. Interestingly, the machine has a Deep Learning and Sensing Suite, meaning the tractor collects and analyses over 240GB of crop data during a typical working day.
