After more than a year of consultations, the China YTO officially signed a cooperation agreement with the America’s General Electric (GE) on the electric tractor project on May 4. The cooperation between them will enable them to bring out their respective strengths to develop the research on electric tractor.

Both sides will make joint efforts to build electric tractor prototype through the China YTO playing its tractor manufacturing advantage, as well as GE giving full play to the technical superiority of electrical system integration, system optimization, and system simulation and control strategy of the electric tractor. To make full use of secondary energy, such as wind and water power, solar, thermal or nuclear energy, the electric tractor has the characteristics as high efficiency, zero pollution and zero emissions. Using this kind of electric tractor will reduce the atmosphere pollution and decrease dependence on petroleum resource in the agricultural production. Once completed, the electric tractor, as the replacement of the traditional combustion motor tractor, will be widely used in maintaining the yard, cutting the grass and other light load field operations.

The China YTO has begun the contacts with GE since March 2011. Hereafter, two parties conducted many rounds of discussions and communications about the research and development capabilities, market prospects, technical details and cooperation pattern. In early 2012, both sides respectively established electric tractor project team and exchanged views on the commercial feasibility. Through the cooperation with GE, the China YTO will make a breakthrough in some key techniques, such as the technological development of electrical control, the whole engine system simulation and field experiment of electric tractor. For instance, perform comparative analysis of major components- power battery, motor, etc- in the exploitation technology of electrical control. Do technology researches on the motor power match and motor speed control. Study the machine control strategy and also make a breakthrough in the research of energy recovery systems.

In recent years, as the increasingly serious problem of oil shortage and environment pollution, the new energy vehicles of all-electric cars or hybrid cars have developed rapidly in the global market. While the traditional combustion motor tractor only achieve 20% of energy conversion because the loss of heat and sound energy in the process of transforming chemical energy into mechanical energy, which enable the energy efficiency of electric tractor improve by 1.5 to 2 times. The comprehensive cost of electric tractor makes up only 30% of the cost of the traditional combustion motor tractor.

The China YTO takes the lead in developing environmental protection tractors according with national energy policy in China machinery industry. And this will have profound strategic significance for guiding technology development of the tractor industry and improving the technology level of energy saving and emission reduction of tractors.

Closing Date: June 7, 2012