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CASE New Holland (CNH) is pushing the envelope of sustainable agriculture with the Farmall 75c Electric, part of the company’s broader efforts to deliver more efficient, cost-effective solutions to farmers everywhere.

The statistics surrounding America’s agricultural industry are shocking. Start with age. Farmers are typically old guys, with average US farmer being nearly sixty years old (58.1 in 2022, with many states pushing the average well above 06). Not only are American farmers aging, but there are fewer young people getting into farming to take their place.

And food is, like, important.

Good Design

CASE CNH gets it, and their latest IH Farmall 75c Electric tractor is pack advanced autonomous abilities powered by a suite of advanced sensors and communication equipment that make it a productivity powerhouse – operating in many scenarios without the need for an operator. In addition to reduced fuel costs, minimal maintenance needs, and superior uptime, that ability to operate autonomously (or remotely) has led CNH to claim their new electric farm tractor offers up to 50% reduction in operating costs compared to similar diesel farm tractors.

“The first Farmall was an innovative tractor when it was released in 1923,” said Mirco Romagnoli, Vice President CASE IH, Europe, when the 75c Electric was first shown in Europe, last year. “And, one hundred years later, the Farmall Electric holds true to that principle.”

In apparent agreement with Romagnoli’s take on his company’s own design, the CASE IH Farmall 75c Electric tractor was awarded a 2023 Good Design Award by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. And, if you’re a fan of old Farmalls, a quick glance at this modern take on that classic design should be all it takes to get you to agree, too.

This is one seriously good-looking tractor.

The new electric Farmall is set to enter the UK and European markets first, with the company’s site inviting interested parties to reach out for more information. No word yet on a North American release – and that’s too bad, because with a 55 kW (approx. 75 hp) motor, 110 kWh battery, and the ability to DC fast charge the battery from 10-80% in about forty minutes, this electric tractor (unlike some smaller units) seems to have the right set of features to make a big difference on a lot of small- to medium-sized farms.

Electrek’s Take

We had a chance to talk about the latest CNH BEVs with Marc Kermisch, CIO of CNH Industrial, over at The Heavy Equipment Podcast a few months back. My take on their efforts on developing EVs for both farming and construction is definitely positive – but Marc’s take on things like methane capture and hydrogen may surprise you.

Click on that play button to give it a listen, then let us know what you think of Marc’s take in the comments.

SOURCE | IMAGES: CNH, via Agritechnica, Global Design News.

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Europe’s wind power hits 20%, but 3 challenges stall progress

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Europe’s wind power hits 20%, but 3 challenges stall progress

Wind energy powered 20% of all electricity consumed in Europe (19% in the EU) in 2024, and the EU has set a goal to grow this share to 34% by 2030 and more than 50% by 2050.

To stay on track, the EU needs to install 30 GW of new wind farms annually, but it only managed 13 GW in 2024 – 11.4 GW onshore and 1.4 GW offshore. This is what’s holding the EU back from achieving its wind growth goals.

Three big problems holding Europe’s wind power back

Europe’s wind power growth is stalling for three key reasons:

Permitting delays. Many governments haven’t implemented the EU’s new permitting rules, making it harder for projects to move forward.

Grid connection bottlenecks. Over 500 GW(!) of potential wind capacity is stuck in grid connection queues.

Slow electrification. Europe’s economy isn’t electrifying fast enough to drive demand for more renewable energy.

Brussels-based trade association WindEurope CEO Giles Dickson summed it up: “The EU must urgently tackle all three problems. More wind means cheaper power, which means increased competitiveness.”

Permitting: Germany sets the standard

Permitting remains a massive roadblock, despite new EU rules aimed at streamlining the process. In fact, the situation worsened in 2024 in many countries. The bright spot? Germany. By embracing the EU’s permitting rules — with measures like binding deadlines and treating wind energy as a public interest priority — Germany approved a record 15 GW of new onshore wind in 2024. That’s seven times more than five years ago.

If other governments follow Germany’s lead, Europe could unlock the full potential of wind energy and bolster energy security.

Grid connections: a growing crisis

Access to the electricity grid is now the biggest obstacle to deploying wind energy. And it’s not just about long queues — Europe’s grid infrastructure isn’t expanding fast enough to keep up with demand. A glaring example is Germany’s 900-megawatt (MW) Borkum Riffgrund 3 offshore wind farm. The turbines are ready to go, but the grid connection won’t be in place until 2026.

This issue isn’t isolated. Governments need to accelerate grid expansion if they’re serious about meeting renewable energy targets.

Electrification: falling behind

Wind energy’s growth is also tied to how quickly Europe electrifies its economy. Right now, electricity accounts for just 23% of the EU’s total energy consumption. That needs to jump to 61% by 2050 to align with climate goals. However, electrification efforts in key sectors like transportation, heating, and industry are moving too slowly.

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has tasked Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen with crafting an Electrification Action Plan. That can’t come soon enough.

More wind farms awarded, but challenges persist

On a positive note, governments across Europe awarded a record 37 GW of new wind capacity (29 GW in the EU) in 2024. But without faster permitting, better grid connections, and increased electrification, these awards won’t translate into the clean energy-producing wind farms Europe desperately needs.

Investments and corporate interest

Investments in wind energy totaled €31 billion in 2024, financing 19 GW of new capacity. While onshore wind investments remained strong at €24 billion, offshore wind funding saw a dip. Final investment decisions for offshore projects remain challenging due to slow permitting and grid delays.

Corporate consumers continue to show strong interest in wind energy. Half of all electricity contracted under Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) in 2024 was wind. Dedicated wind PPAs were 4 GW out of a total of 12 GW of renewable PPAs. 

Read more: Renewables could meet almost half of global electricity demand by 2030 – IEA


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Podcast: New Tesla Model Y unveil, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, more

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Podcast: New Tesla Model Y unveil, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, more

In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss the official unveiling of the new Tesla Model Y, Mazda 6e, Aptera solar car production-intent, and more.

The show is live every Friday at 4 p.m. ET on Electrek’s YouTube channel.

As a reminder, we’ll have an accompanying post, like this one, on the site with an embedded link to the live stream. Head to the YouTube channel to get your questions and comments in.

After the show ends at around 5 p.m. ET, the video will be archived on YouTube and the audio on all your favorite podcast apps:

We now have a Patreon if you want to help us avoid more ads and invest more in our content. We have some awesome gifts for our Patreons and more coming.

Here are a few of the articles that we will discuss during the podcast:

Here’s the live stream for today’s episode starting at 4:00 p.m. ET (or the video after 5 p.m. ET):

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BYD’s new Han L EV just leaked in China and it’s a monster

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BYD's new Han L EV just leaked in China and it's a monster

The Chinese EV leader is launching a new flagship electric sedan. BYD’s new Han L EV leaked in China on Friday, revealing a potential Tesla Model S Plaid challenger.

What we know about the BYD Han L EV so far

We knew it was coming soon after BYD teased the Han L on social media a few days ago. Now, we are learning more about what to expect.

BYD’s new electric sedan appeared in China’s latest Ministry of Industry and Information Tech (MIIT) filing, a catalog of new vehicles that will soon be sold.

The filing revealed four versions, including two EV and two PHEV models. The Han L EV will be available in single- and dual-motor configurations. With a peak power of 580 kW (777 hp), the single-motor model packs more power than expected.

BYD’s dual-motor Han L gains an additional 230 kW (308 hp) front-mounted motor. As CnEVPost pointed out, the vehicle’s back has a “2.7S” badge, which suggests a 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) sprint time of just 2.7 seconds.

BYD-Han-L-EV
BYD Han L EV (Source: China MIIT)

To put that into perspective, the Tesla Model S Plaid can accelerate from 0 to 100 km in 2.1 seconds. In China, the Model S Plaid starts at RBM 814,900, or over $110,000. Speaking of Tesla, the EV leader just unveiled its highly anticipated Model Y “Juniper” refresh in China on Thursday. It starts at RMB 263,500 ($36,000).

BYD already sells the Han EV in China, starting at around RMB 200,000. However, the single front motor, with a peak power of 180 kW, is much less potent than the “L” model. The Han EV can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.

BYD-Han-L-EV
BYD Han L EV (Source: China MIIT)

At 5,050 mm long, 1,960 mm wide, and 1,505 mm tall with a wheelbase of 2,970 mm, BYD’s new Han L is roughly the size of the Model Y (4,970 mm long, 1,964 mm wide, 1,445 mm tall, wheelbase of 2,960 mm).

Other than that it will use a lithium iron phosphate (LFP) pack from BYD’s FinDreams unit, no other battery specs were revealed. Check back soon for the full rundown.

Source: CnEVPost, China MIIT

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