As a passion that probably fits nicely in between my car-free lifestyle and my love of strange electric off-road work vehicles, I’ve got a bit of a thing for electric tractors. And so when an awesome little retro electric lawn tractor known as the General Electric Elec-Trak popped into my algorithm, it sent me down one of the most enjoyable rabbit holes I’ve explored in quite some time.
Some of my followers may even know that I spend a lot of time on my NESHER electric tractors, designed for homesteaders, landowners, and average folks like many of us who want right-sized electric work equipment for our properties. But did you know that General Electric was already in that space, building consumer-focused electric tractors over 50 years ago?
That’s right. If you dig a little deeper into the strange niches of off-road EV history, you’ll stumble across something pretty cool known as the GE Elec-Trak, an all-electric riding lawn tractor built in the 1970s that was way ahead of its time.
Yes, you read that right. In the age of bell-bottoms and disco balls, General Electric built a fully electric, zero-emission lawn tractor that could mow your grass, blow your snow, and quietly haul gear around your property – all without a single drop of gasoline. And the best part? Many of them are still running today, thanks to simple engineering, robust components, and a surprisingly devoted fanbase of backyard EV enthusiasts.
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The Elec-Trak debuted in 1969, back when the idea of electric anything outside of a toaster was still pretty radical. It was designed by a team inside GE’s Outdoor Power Equipment division, and the company didn’t hold back. These weren’t stripped-down toys, they were legitimate utility machines. The lineup ranged from compact residential tractors like the E8 all the way up to heavy-duty models like the E20, which could outpull a gas mower of the same size.
Power came from a 36V lead-acid battery system using six deep-cycle 6V batteries wired in series. The drive motor on the E12, for example, produced about 1 to 1.5 horsepower (or around 750 to 1,100 watts), though the actual power was often higher climbing hills. Each blade in the mower deck had its own 1/3 horsepower motor. Add in electric lights, horn, power take-off (PTO), and even attachments like a front-end loader or snowblower, and you’ve got yourself a real workhorse with absolutely no tailpipe emissions.
They could mow three acres on a single charge, or an auxiliary battery was offered that could extend the mowing range to five acres.
But what really made the Elec-Trak special, especially looking back through a modern lens, is how practical and modular it was. GE offered over 30 electric attachments, including implements like tillers, sickle bars, rotary sweepers, and even a mini electric chainsaw that plugged right into the tractor’s accessory port. It was an entire electric ecosystem, designed long before anyone was saying words like “electrification” or “sustainability” at garden tool conferences.
So, how well did it sell? GE produced over 30,000 Elec-Traks during its run from 1969 to 1975, which isn’t a huge number by modern standards, but it’s respectable for a weird electric tractor sold during an era when gas was still 40 cents a gallon and nobody was asking for cordless anything. The oil crisis of the early ’70s gave it a short burst of relevance, but ultimately GE shelved the program, and the rights were later sold to a few smaller companies who tried to keep it alive for only a few more years.
GE wasn’t alone. Sears, John Deere, Cub Cadet, and others all offered their own similar electric lawn tractors, but none are as prolific as GE’s. Today, the Elec-Trak has something of a cult following. There are still thousands of units in garages and barns around the U.S., many lovingly restored and upgraded. Some owners have swapped in modern lithium-ion batteries, others have added solar charging, and a few have even built custom Elec-Trak trailers and implements. There are active communities online that trade parts, advice, and just generally enjoy talking shop about interesting electric lawn tractors.
I’ve ridden a lot of modern electric mowers and utility vehicles, and while they’re great in their own ways, there’s something uniquely satisfying about seeing a 50-year-old electric tractor fire up (silently) and start cutting grass like it was built yesterday.
The Elec-Trak isn’t just a quirky piece of history; it’s proof that electric utility vehicles don’t have to be futuristic, flashy, or over-engineered. Sometimes, a few batteries, a motor, and a little ingenuity are all you need. And if GE could figure that out in 1969, maybe we’re finally just catching up.
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Tesla’s Q2 results are in, and they are way, way down from Q2 of 2024. At the same time, Nissan seems to be in serious trouble and the first-ever all-electric Dodge muscle car is getting recalled because its dumb engine noises are the wrong kind of dumb engine noises. All this and more on today’s deeply troubled episode of Quick Charge!
We’ve also got an awesome article from Micah Toll about a hitherto unexplored genre of electric lawn equipment, a $440 million mining equipment deal, and a list of incompetent, corrupt, and stupid politicians who voted away their constituents’ futures to line their pockets.
New episodes of Quick Charge are recorded, usually, Monday through Thursday (and sometimes Sunday). We’ll be posting bonus audio content from time to time as well, so be sure to follow and subscribe so you don’t miss a minute of Electrek’s high-voltage daily news.
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“These ‘OpenAI tokens’ are not OpenAI equity,” OpenAI wrote on X. “We did not partner with Robinhood, were not involved in this, and do not endorse it.”
The company said that “any transfer of OpenAI equity requires our approval — we did not approve any transfer,” and warned users to “please be careful.”
Robinhood announced the launch Monday from Cannes, France, as part of a broader product showcase focused on tokenized equities, staking, and a new blockchain infrastructure play. The company’s stock surged above $100 to hit a new all-time high following the news.
“These tokens give retail investors indirect exposure to private markets, opening up access, and are enabled by Robinhood’s ownership stake in a special purpose vehicle,” a Robinhood spokesperson said in response to the OpenAI post.
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Robinhood offered 5 euros worth of OpenAI and SpaceX tokens to eligible EU users who signed up to trade stock tokens by July 7. The assets are issued under the EU’s looser investor restrictions via Robinhood’s crypto platform.
“This is about expanding access,” said Johann Kerbrat, Robinhood’s SVP and GM of crypto. “The goal with tokenization is to let anyone participate in this economy.”
The episode highlights the dynamic between crypto platforms seeking to democratize access to financial products and the companies whose names and equity are being represented on-chain
U.S. users cannot access these tokens due to regulatory restrictions.
Despite the warnings, BYD continues introducing new discounts. On Wednesday, BYD’s luxury off-road brand began offering over 50% Huawei’s smart driving tech.
BYD introduces new discounts on smart driving tech
After BYD cut prices again in May, the China Automobile Manufacturers Association (CAMA) warned that the ultra-low prices are “triggering a new round of price war panic.”
Although they didn’t single out BYD, it was pretty obvious. BYD slashed prices across 22 of its vehicles by up to 34%, triggering several automakers to follow suit in China.
BYD’s cheapest EV, the Seagull, typically starts at about $10,000 (66,800 yuan). After the price cuts, the Seagull is listed at under $8,000 (55,800 yuan).
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It doesn’t look like China’s EV leader plans to slow down anytime soon. Fang Cheng Bao, BYD’s luxury off-road brand, introduced new discounts on Huawei’s smart driving tech on Wednesday.
The limited-time offer cuts the price of Huawei’s Qiankun Intelligent Driving High-end Function Package to just 12,000 yuan ($1,700).
BYD Fang Cheng Bao 5 SUV testing (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)
Buyers who order the smart driving tech in July will save over 50% compared to its typical price of 32,000 yuan ($4,500).
Earlier this year, Fang Chang Bao launched the Tai 3, its most affordable vehicle, starting at 139,800 yuan ($19,300). The Tai 3 is about the size of the Tesla Model Y, but costs about half as much.
BYD Fang Cheng Bao Tai 3 electric SUV (Source: Fang Cheng Bao)
The Tai 3 will spearhead a new sub-brand of electric SUVs following the more premium Bao 8 and Bao 5 hybrid SUVs.
BYD’s luxury off-road brand sold 18,903 vehicles last month, up 50% from May and 605% compared to last year. Fang Cheng Bao has now sold over 10,000 vehicles for three consecutive months.
The Chinese EV giant sold 382,585 vehicles in total in June, an increase of 12% from last year. In the first half of the year, BYD’s cumulative sales reached over 2.1 million, a YOY increase of 33%.
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