This doesn't cover all tractor uses of course, in the Texas Hill Country (think around Austin) there's a pretty large cohort of people (non farmers) that have enough land to necessitate a tractor or bob-cat that will only be used a few times a month.
Imagine being able to "jettison" your battery pack from your classic car EV conversion to plop into your tractor. I know the swappable battery packs failed to take up with the Tesla model, but think about the secondary machines that need occasional power - tractors, ride on lawn mowers, sentimental classic/ hobby vehicle. Things that could be used in series (you won't be moving your lawn and driving your classic car at the same time) that could also benefit as being a power wall.
High class problem for sure, there's a big opportunity to leverage micro-grids + flexible power.
The problem with this example I think is the price of 45000 USD. I went down a research rabbit hole in this once and largely concluded some cheaper options are either to
- question why you really need a tractor. There's some organic growers on her small plots using push-driven tools rather than riding tractors.
- look into the ge elec-trac community (google it). A tractor built back in the 70s gas crisis that people still cherish. Notably most electric tractor r&d I've seen tends to be done around a gas price crisis (early 70s, 2008)
- seriously consider why you need a tractor if it's small acreage. I've wanted to gift a scythe rather than see people close to me futz with tractors they can't maintain
I am that homeowner. Here are some things I use my tractor for: turn compost (6ft tall piles), till a large garden, grade landscaping for drainage, dig holes for posts and plants, distribute mulch, repair driveway and distribute gravel, and help my neighbors with many of these same items.
I also use it to move heavy items like wooden beams and Mac's mom.
All of this could be done without the tractor, so I wouldn't say it's necessary. My back is not wrecked right now, though, I'm glad I have it. Also, I imagine my use will slow after having lived here for longer (only been a few years so far) - we have several projects we want done at the moment.
The way I figure I could rent a tractor for about $150/day when I need it, or buy an old one for $6k to use for many years and then sell it... probably for near $6k (I know I've spent money on maintenance). Renting every other weekend is annoying, and I often work 1 hour in the evening.
Anyway, hopefully this helps answer your question about why someone with a few acres would own such a thing.
the main problem here is that a battery big enough to power a skid-steer would be too big to lift by hand. and you couldn't use your skid-steer to lift it, so you'd need a hoist or something.
but once you've got a hoist and are moving a big heavy pack between vehicles, i wonder how much else could be in that transferrable pack. is a skid-steer loader similar enough to a light-duty tractor or mini-hoe that you could transfer the motor, hydraulic pump, and battery between different vehicles?
One that hits me as a caravan owner - I would love to take the drove chain of my main car and just "plug" it into a motor home shell - in fact have the shell be a two parter - a small runabout car and the extra.
the price of a motor home is basically the cost of a car and the cost of a caravan - an electric motors home in this case would be basically half price
This is (becoming) a good question. If Automous vehicles do become a real thing on the roads (#) then the whole caravanning concept becomes ... curious
- An electric battery / chassis that can transfer between "shells" implies I could swap the every day shell for a larger "sleep in shell". Kept at home or borrowed or stored or rented?
- As below comment says - an automous car could simply just drive the whole "sleeping caravan" around (not any money saver but suddenly the market opens up - people who don't want to have the hassle of towing a two ton trailer can just go and wait for the caravan to arrive (from the rental store perhaps)
It's really just hitting me but unbundling is going to change an awful lot of the real world
(#) It's still a bit dubious - we seem to be like 60% there, 80% is looking challenging.
This is different to the US, but in Europe a lot of people have smaller cars that aren't suitable for towing caravans. My family's only car can comfortable fit four people, but I don't have a tow bar (and the manufacturer doesn't recommend fitting one). And of course for most people it's much easier to drive a motorhome or campervan, than to drive a car with a caravan.
With something like this it could be "towed" by basically any kind of vehicle. It doesn't really have to be pulled or pushed, it could take hints from the vehicle in front. It might not even have to be attached, except maybe for legal or historical reasons.
Another important point about rv-type travel is that you frequently need to be self-contained. A large battery could do double duty as propulsion and living. It would also be ideal for rooftop and/or awning solar panels. This setup would allow all the comforts of civilization without being hooked up to the grid, or even be near the grid. It could even pay for itself. Drive, then park for a few days and you get free power to go another hop.
People have definitely been tossing this idea around - basically your micro-car could "tow" a 10-ton self-powered autonomous trailer that locks in on guide signals from the rear and drafts your car. Much, much simpler than true autonomous driving - you don't have to read road signs, watch out for cyclists crossing against the light, figure out how to handle a 6-way uncontrolled intersection, etc. You'd probably want some feedback to the lead vehicle to modulate acceleration and braking to match the capabilities of the trailer.
Imagine being able to "jettison" your battery pack from your classic car EV conversion to plop into your tractor. I know the swappable battery packs failed to take up with the Tesla model, but think about the secondary machines that need occasional power - tractors, ride on lawn mowers, sentimental classic/ hobby vehicle. Things that could be used in series (you won't be moving your lawn and driving your classic car at the same time) that could also benefit as being a power wall.
High class problem for sure, there's a big opportunity to leverage micro-grids + flexible power.