Scale and the rural electrification opportunity
Gridtractor's launch received in the Ag, energy and mobility media but the context on this site really summed it up. Along with the launch, two articles in Food and Farming Technology put an exclamation point on the case for an Ag fleet electrification startup. Monarch Tractor (the Tesla of Tractors?) is working with CNH Industrial (the equipment manufacturer that won't repeat the auto majors' mistake?), pointing to a necessary combination of advanced technology and scale for electrification. Above that is a seemingly unrelated article about irrigation solutions for small farmers in Africa. It points out how small-scale solar can provide clean, reliable irrigation to millions of uncultivated or low-yield acres. The link with Gridtractor is that an electric tractor can be the hub of a rural microgrid that eliminates carbon emissions from work animals, diesel pumps, charcoal and wood cooking and lighting, while providing the benefits of electrification to several families. We will have more to say about this concept soon!
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