The Monarch-made MK-V is now in production and the first of the 100% electrically powered tractors, which can operate with or without a driver, are with customers.
The electric drivetrain provides 40hp (30kW) of continuous power and short duration peak up to 70hp (52kW). It depends on the situation, but maximum battery runtime is a claimed 14+ hours. An optional battery pack is available for customers keen to extend the operating range.
Monarch Tractor says that one person can swap the batteries in under 10 minutes; batteries are covered by a 10-year (10,000hr) warranty. The charging time from zero to 100% is 5-6 hours with an 80-amp charger (10-12 hours/40-amp charger).
The MK-V is packed with safety features including roll and collision prevention, vision-based pto (540rpm) safety and 360° cameras. The tractor will stop moving if it detects a human within 2.0m, and the pto automatically shuts off if the system detects a hand or a leg within 30cm.
Additional packages are available that use the latest autonomous hardware and software technology to provide driver-assist and driver-optional operations, where the tractor can perform pre-programmed tasks without an operator.
The interactive automation feature allows the tractor to follow another one in the same field, and it is also possible for one operator to manage up to eight MKVs at a time.
Currently only available in North America, price of the 4wd MK-V, which comes with Cat I/II rear linkage, 750kg lift capacity, 75l/min hydraulics and a turning radius of 2.7m and weighs 2.3t, starts from just under US$89,000.
CNH Industrial recently secured a minority stake in Monarch Tractor, and the California-based start-up (founded in 2018) played a role in the development of the New Holland T4 Electric Power tractor.
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