The forgotten 1970s GE electric lawn tractor you’ve never heard of
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.
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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This week on Electrek’s Wheel-E podcast, we discuss the most popular news stories from the world of electric bikes and other nontraditional electric vehicles. This time, that includes a new ONYX RCR 80V electric moped, new lightweight e-bike motors, Aventon’s powerful update, California cops catching illegal e-bike riders with drones, a super lightweight new e-bike from Dahon, and more.
Today’s episode is sponsored by CYCROWN, an e-Bike company born from a passion for cycling. Its lineup now includes the new CYCROWN Dremax – a high-performance urban commuter e-bike now on sale in the US and Canada. Use Electrek50 to save $50 off your new eBike when you order.
The Wheel-E podcast returns every two weeks on Electrek’s YouTube channel, Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.
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While much of the Western world is still figuring out how to get more people on electric bikes, China just flipped a switch, and the results are staggering. Thanks to a generous nationwide trade-in program rolled out around six months ago, China has seen an explosive surge in electric bicycle sales, with over 8.47 million new e-bikes hitting the road in the first half of 2025 alone.
The program, which offers subsidies to riders who trade in their old, often outdated electric bikes for newer, safer, and more efficient models, has sparked a new e-bike sale boom in a country already dominated by e-bike travel. In major provinces like Jiangsu, Hebei, and Zhejiang, over one million new e-bikes were sold in each region in just six months. That’s a tidal wave of e-bike sales.
The incentives vary depending on location and the model being traded in, but for many consumers, the subsidies cover a substantial portion of a new e-bike’s price – enough to turn a “maybe next year” purchase into a “right now” upgrade. And these aren’t just budget bikes either. The program has driven demand for higher-quality models with better batteries, safer braking systems, and more reliable electronics, accelerating both adoption and innovation across the industry.
The move has proven successful in replacing the millions of older models with lower-quality lithium-ion batteries that had posed safety risks around the country. Instead, China has pushed for higher-quality lithium-ion batteries, a return to a newer generation of higher-performance AGM batteries, and even interesting new sodium-ion battery options.
According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, more than 8.4 million consumers have participated in the e-bike trade-in program so far, contributing to a sales increase of 643.5% year-over-year and more than doubling sales month-over-month. Meanwhile, production of new electric bicycles rose by nearly 28%, as manufacturers scrambled to meet demand. The sales boosts have already been seen in the financial reports of major industry players like NIU.
And it’s not just the big players benefiting – over 82,000 small independent e-bike dealers reported average sales increases of ¥302,000 (around US $42,000), giving a serious boost to local economies.
What’s particularly striking here is how fast this happened. The program was officially launched late last year as part of a broader effort to stimulate domestic consumption and phase out outdated vehicles and appliances. But while most analysts expected gradual growth, the e-bike sector responded much more quickly. In less than a year, the trade-in subsidies have reshaped the electric bicycle market, creating a consumer-driven boom that shows no signs of slowing.
For those of us watching from outside China, it’s hard not to wonder what might happen if other countries tried something similar. While most families in Chinese cities already own an electric bike and thus see this as an opportunity to trade it in for a newer model, Western countries like the US are still figuring out how to stimulate commuters into buying their first e-bike.
It’s too soon to know exactly how long the boom will last or whether the momentum will carry into 2026 and beyond. We’ve seen bicycle industry bubbles grow and burst before. But one thing’s clear: with the right incentives, even modest ones, it’s possible to ignite real, large-scale change. China just proved it with nearly 8.5 million new e-bikes to show for it.
And if you’re wondering what it looks like when a country takes electric micromobility seriously, this is it.
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![Day 1 of the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025 [Gallery]](https://i0.wp.com/electrek.co/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2025/07/54629423281_6315c46dff_k.jpg?resize=1200,628&quality=82&strip=all&ssl=1)
Today was the official start of racing at the Electrek Formula Sun Grand Prix 2025! There was a tremendous energy (and heat) on the ground at NCM Motorsports Park as nearly a dozen teams took to the track. Currently, as of writing, Stanford is ranked #1 in the SOV (Single-Occupant Vehicle) class with 68 registered laps. However, the fastest lap so far belongs to UC Berkeley, which clocked a 4:45 on the 3.15-mile track. That’s an average speed of just under 40 mph on nothing but solar energy. Not bad!
In the MOV (Multi-Occupant Vehicle) class, Polytechnique Montréal is narrowly ahead of Appalachian State by just 4 laps. At last year’s formula sun race, Polytechnique Montréal took first place overall in this class, and the team hopes to repeat that success. It’s still too early for prediction though, and anything can happen between now and the final day of racing on Saturday.
Congrats to the teams that made it on track today. We look forward to seeing even more out there tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some shots from today via the event’s wonderful photographer Cora Kennedy.
Stay tuned for more!
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