John Deere partners with Spudnik to replace mechanical driveline with electric motors
John Deere is offering an Electric Variable Transmission (EVT) on its larger 8 and 9 series model tractors that replaces a standard mechanical variable transmission with electric motors. Now, they’re partnering with Spudnik to put the system to work on potato and root crop farms.
Naturally, Deere cites a number of advantages to using its tech — including more efficient operation, infinite speed control, reduced maintenance requirements, and superior torque delivery “to the wheels.” The ag equipment experts at Agriland, however, cite yet another benefit to the EVT that’s often overlooked: off-boarding.
“(One of) the virtues of this (EVT) approach is getting power to the wheels … but another notable benefit of this arrangement is that an electrical power source is readily available to drive implements, which is now generally referred to as off-boarding,” writes Justin Roberts. “The various driveshafts and belts on a trailed machine, such as a baler, can be replaced with wires and motors which are lighter and do not require the heavy engineering necessitated by tensioned pullies and the torque reaction of shafts.”
John Deere EVT cutaway
Deere notes that agricultural implements with powered axles are already successfully used in Europe, where they help to “push” the tractor from behind while working in the field. In addition to improving traction and preventing tractors from getting stuck in inclement weather, the EVT-powered axles theoretically enable a smaller tractor to effectively pull a larger implement.
“This EVT is the industry’s only transmission that enables electric power generation (up to 100kW),” says Ryan Jardon, marketing manager for John Deere. “By using this electricity farmers could power implement fan drives, take the place of implement hydraulic pumps, or assist the tractor by powering the implement’s axles. This is similar, to proven-technology John Deere currently uses, on construction equipment.”
By now, though, you’re probably wondering what any of this has to do with potato farming. It turns out that electrification, whether we’re talking about fully electric drive or a diesel/EVT hybrid, solves a huge problem in root crop harvesting.
Using air to separate roots and tubers from dirt clods and stones is a common practice on mechanical harvesters, but maintaining a consistent airflow with a diesel engine that’s under differing loads throughout its duty cycle, constantly varying engine speeds, and — as a consequence — fan revolutions is a constant problem. Working with Deere, Spudnik has solved this problem by driving its fans with an electric motor that’s powered with off-boarded electricity from the EVT, rather than a mechanical connection to the tractor’s transmission (how it’s been done for the better part of a century).
Electrifying the fan motor means it can run at a constant speed, regardless of how fast, or how slow the tractor is running.
The configuration has already been tested on one of Spudnik’s 6621 2 Row AirSep potato separators with a large grower out in Washburn, Maine with great success, according to Spudnik. No word yet on when they’ll get serious and roll out to Idaho.
Electrek’s Take
John Deere knows that its core buyers are wary of new technology — and even talking about a fully electric tractor is one of those things that could sour a longtime customer relationship in some parts of the country. Deere is doing a smart thing here by developing the EVT, electrifying their ag equipment’s drive units and offering several of the benefits of full electric operation without taking away all the rattling vroom-vroom diesel noises that their current customers love.
Think of the EVT, then, as a PHEV for farmers. Once they understand that they’re already driving an electric tractor and pulling electric implements with electrically driven axles, the only question will be how those motors get the electrons they need to do the work. Will it be from a diesel generator/alternator, as in the EVT, or a battery?
Sooner than later, the sheer economics of battery power will make switching a no-brainer. Until then, clever tech like the EVT is laying the foundations by playing up the benefits of EVs without using any politically charged terms. And— hey, whatever works.
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According to a Tesla Semi customer, the electric truck program is suffering more delays and a price increase that is described as “dramatic.”
Tesla Semi has seen many delays, more than any other vehicle program at Tesla.
It was initially unveiled in 2017, and CEO Elon Musk claimed that it would go into production in 2019.
In late 2022, Tesla held an event where it unveiled the “production version” of the Tesla Semi and delivered the first few units to a “customer-partner”: PepsiCo.
More than 3 years later, the vehicle never went into volume production. Instead, Tesla only ran a very low volume pilot production at a factory in Nevada and only delivered a few dozen trucks to customers as part of test programs.
But Tesla promised that things would finally happen for the Tesla Semi this year.
Tesla has been building a new high-volume production factory specifically for the Tesla Semi program in a new building next to Gigafactory Nevada.
The goal was to start production in 2025, start customer deliveries, and ramp up to 50,000 trucks yearly.
Now, Ryder, a large transportation company and early customer-partner in Tesla’s semi truck program, is talking about further delays. The company also refers to a significant price increase.
California’s Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC) awarded Ryder funding for a project to deploy Tesla Semi trucks and Megachargers at two of its facilities in the state.
Ryder had previously asked for extensions amid the delays in the Tesla Semi program.
In a new letter sent to MSRC last week and obtained by Electrek, Ryder asked the agency for another 28-month delay. The letter references delays in “Tesla product design, vehicle production” and it mentions “dramatic changes to the Tesla product economics”:
This extension is needed due to delays in Tesla product design, vehicle production and dramatic changes to the Tesla product economics. These delays have caused us to reevaluate the current Ryder fleet in the area.
The logistics company now says it plans to “deploy 18 Tesla Semi vehicles by June 2026.”
The reference to “dramatic changes to the Tesla product economics” points to a significant price increase for the Tesla Semi, which further communication with MSRC confirms.
In the agenda of a meeting to discuss the extension and changes to the project yesterday, MSRC confirms that the project went from 42 to 18 Tesla Semi trucks while the project commitment is not changing:
Ryder has indicated that their electric tractor manufacturer partner, Tesla, has experienced continued delays in product design and production. There have also been dramatic changes to the product economics. Ryder requests to reduce the number of vehicles from 42 to 18, stating that this would maintain their $7.5 million private match commitment.
In addition to the electric trucks, the project originally involved installing two integrated power centers and four Tesla Megachargers, split between two locations. Ryder is also looking to now install 3 Megachargers per location for a total of 6 instead of 4.
The project changes also mention that “Ryder states that Tesla now requires 600kW chargers rather than the 750kW units originally engineered.”
Tesla Semi Price
When originally unveiling the Tesla Semi in 2017, the automaker mentioned prices of $150,000 for a 300-mile range truck and $180,000 for the 500-mile version. Tesla also took orders for a “Founder’s Series Semi” at $200,000.
However, Tesla didn’t update the prices when launching the “production version” of the truck in late 2023. Price increases have been speculated, but the company has never confirmed them.
New diesel-powered Class 8 semi trucks in the US today often range between $150,000 and $220,000.
The combination of a reasonable purchase price and low operation costs, thanks to cheaper electric rates than diesel, made the Tesla Semi a potentially revolutionary product to reduce the overall costs of operation in trucking while reducing emissions.
However, Ryder now points to a “dramatic” price increase for the Tesla Semi.
What is the cost of a Tesla Semi electric truck now?
Electrek’s Take
As I have often stated, Tesla Semi is the vehicle program I am most excited about at Tesla right now.
If Tesla can produce class 8 trucks capable of moving cargo of similar weight as diesel trucks over 500 miles on a single charge in high volume at a reasonable price point, they have a revolutionary product on their hands.
But the reasonable price part is now being questioned.
After reading the communications between Ryder and MSRC, while not clear, it looks like the program could be interpreted as MSRC covering the costs of installing the charging stations while Ryder committed $7.5 million to buying the trucks.
The math makes sense for the original funding request since $7.5 million divided by 42 trucks results in around $180,000 per truck — what Tesla first quoted for the 500-mile Tesla Semi truck.
Now, with just 18 trucks, it would point to a price of $415,000 per Tesla Semi truck. It’s possible that some of Ryder’s commitment could also go to an increase in Megacharger prices – either per charger or due to the two additional chargers. MSRC said that they don’t give more money when prices go up after an extension.
I wouldn’t be surprised if the 500-mile Tesla Semi ends up costing $350,000 to $400,000.
If that’s the case, Tesla Semi is impressive, but it won’t be the revolutionary product that will change the trucking industry.
It will need to be closer to $250,000-$300,000 to have a significant impact, which is not impossible with higher-volume production but would be difficult.
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