By David Wylie
Early adoption in the market is spearheaded by electric forklifts, including Heli Canada’s G series three-wheel unit.
These days everything is electrifying—including farm equipment—but not everyone is ready to give up their trusted diesel-powered engines for electric vehicles.
As EV buzz abounds, farmers fear forced adoption by government will come with a financial sting at a time when they’re already hurting.
Ready or not, signs point to an electric evolution coming soon to fields, orchards and vineyards in British Columbia. The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Low Carbon Innovation has been consulting with the agricultural community on the future of medium- and heavy-duty zero-emission vehicles.
The BC Agriculture Council (BCAC) has been pushing back over a possible blanket ban in B.C. on tailpipe exhaust, advocating for exceptions, such as allowing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles.
BCAC’s director of policy, Paul Pryce, says there must be acknowledgment from government of the differing needs and risks involved in agriculture.
“Farmers are already hit with a lot of debt right now, high interest rates and high inflation,” he says.
“The idea of taking a perfectly good [vehicle] and saying, ‘well because it has some tailpipe emissions you have to trash that and buy a fresh one to meet these new regulatory requirements’ is something that we objected to.”
There are pros to electric farm vehicles (less maintenance, increased sustainability). However, there are also some serious cons, including a lack of charging and wireless infrastructure in rural and remote areas; limited range of vehicles—an issue exacerbated by cold weather; prohibitive costs; and limited to no availability.
Pryce says the technology is just not up to meeting the intense demands of agricultural work. He fears the nightmare scenario of a neighbour asking another neighbour for help harvesting as the weather suddenly turns cold, but that neighbour’s equipment has no battery life left.
“With producers there’s limited risk tolerance. If something doesn’t go right you can lose a year’s worth of work or more,” he says. “Having something that’s tried, tested and true creates that sense of comfort.”
Two things could help increase adoption, he says: firstly, strong financial aid options, like tax credits or loan guarantees; and secondly, a proven track record that the equipment is capable of doing the job.
“The greatest adoption so far is electric forklifts,” says Pryce. “That’s been the easiest adoption, partially because the technology’s already there and there are a lot of readily available models on the market. But also, the infrastructure is there with the electrification. If people have successful experiences with things like electric forklifts, then it opens up the mind to what other possibilities there are. If this has worked, what else could work?”
Even if those expected to adopt electric farm technology aren’t overly enthusiastic just yet, electric tractors are a market that’s expected to grow over time.
Kubota will launch the KX038-4e electric mini excavator into the European market in the spring of 2024. This model’s eco-mode can adjust the motor speed to ensure four hours of continuous operation.
A competitive analysis by global research company, Research and Markets, says the electric farm tractor market in Canada is forecast to grow by more than 10 percent between now and 2027.
Financial incentives offered by government to offset higher upfront costs will help drive adoption, says the report.
Research and Markets also says electric tractors can help farmers appeal to consumers looking for sustainably produced food. They often require less maintenance and have fewer parts to replace.
To fill the need, major farm equipment companies are making R&D investments into farm EVs, heavy-hitters including AGCO, Deere and Company, Kubota Corporation and CNH Industrial.
John Deere says green- and yellow-branded electric compact utility tractors, commercial and residential mowers, Gator utility vehicles and more than 20 models of construction equipment will be on the market by 2026.
The company’s product manager for electrification, Derek Muller, says customers have certain expectations of what the equipment will be capable of and they want a “next generation” user experience.
He says electric machinery will bring revolutionary changes to agriculture.
“The more producers reduce the cost of their operations, the more flexibility it gives them to make more passes in the field, essentially doing more with less,” he says. “They can manage yield and plant health on a more frequent basis; enabled by the cost of that pass being so low. They are no longer exposed to fuel costs. Producers can focus on the health of the plants/animals and truly optimize the material inputs such as fertilizers, chemicals and feeds.”
Currently, electric tractors are rare in Canada but not unheard of —Ontario farmer Tony Neale has gained some celebrity for Wheelbarrow Farm through his electric tractor.
In 2017, Neale worked with Solectrac in Mendocino, California, to develop a solar alternative. Public support got the grassroots project off the ground, as customers, friends and family helped finance the tractor, along with a grant from the Greenbelt Foundation.
The solar-powered tractor is charged using energy from a 10kW array. It’s been a boon to Neale who has used the unique vehicle to gain national media exposure for his small vegetable and flower farm in Sunderland, Ontario.
These types of electric projects are being encouraged in B.C. through provincial programs that support innovation.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Food says CleanBC is also helping farmers with sustainable projects and implementing sustainable agricultural practices on their farms and orchards to work towards a cleaner, healthier environment.
Support Programs
The province has a number of programs that are intended to support the electrification of B.C. farms.
Encouraging homegrown innovation
The B.C. On-Farm Technology Adoption Program provides cost-shared funding to eligible participants to adopt new technologies on-farm that will enhance profitability, productivity and/or efficiency. This includes equipment such as digital sensors, automated equipment and robotic harvesters.
innovatebc.ca/programs/bc-on-farm
Cost sharing opportunity
The Beneficial Management Practices program supports the replacement of fossil-fuel-driven equipment or motors with electrical equipment or motors through cost-share funding to eligible participants.
iafbc.ca/beneficial-management-practices
Billions in funding potential
The Sustainable Canadian Agriculture Partnership Program is a five-year $3.5-billion partnership that funds agriculture and agri-food sector sustainability programs.