Hyderabad-based electric vehicle start-up, Cellestial E-Mobility, has recently unveiled its first electric tractor prototype. A first-of-its-kind electric tractor in its segment, the new e-tractor comes with swappable batteries, regenerative braking and power inversion mode, which allows the user to use the tractor to power a UPS. Completely developed in-house, the electric tractor is targeted towards the Indian agri and goods carriage segment and offers a maximum range of 75 km on a single charge and can be recharged using a residential single-phase 16 Amps outlet.
Now, this is not the first electric tractor prototype in India. Back in 2017, tractor manufacturer Escorts had also showcased its first electric tractor concept, however, the model is yet to enter series production. In those regards, Cellestial E-Mobility plans to launch the new e-tractor by the end of 2020 and targets to build 8,000 tractors in the next 3 years months. However, currently, it’s still a prototype model and the company is working on getting certifications for a proper market launch.
The company says that in 2019, the entire market sold 878,000 units of tractors, so, it currently holds great potential for electric tractors. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.9 per cent per annum until 2024. Talking about its positioning and target market, Siddhartha Durairajan, Co-Founder Promoter of Cellestial E- Mobility said, “The e- tractor is engineered to be a zero-emission environment-friendly tractor for horticultural or greenhouse works or moving goods within factories, warehouses and to haul baggage in airports. Besides, Cellestial’s 6 bhp (4.4kW) electric tractor (equivalent to 21 bhp diesel tractor) is equipped with residential power socket charging and battery-swapping enabled.”