The beast is as powerful as a tractor, but emits very little sound and produces very little emissions.
John Deere Sesam is green not only because of its famous paint job, but also because of the philosophy behind the creation of this pure electric tractor. This company is a well-known name in farm equipment and looks forward to the future of farming food with its rig.
The Sesam is a modified John Deere 6R tractor. It packs 174 horsepower (130 kilowatts) and two electric motors. They can either dedicate drive to the vehicle or to the power takeoff shaft depending on their power requirements. Or they can split the output and each motor takes on a different duty. The diesel engine is also replaced by a huge bank of lithium-ion battery.
John Deere says the Sesam has all the power and capabilities of a tractor, but no local emissions. Electric motors can be used for heavy hauling because they have plenty of torque available instantly. The only sound that the vehicle makes is the whine from the electric motors. Even those go quiet when a farmer stops it. This rig could also be used to produce energy-independent crops, provided that there are enough solar cells and windmills on the farm.
The Sesam concept is not yet ready for a full day of farm work. John Deere claims that the battery’s charge lasts for around four hours with normal usage. The worst part is that the battery pack takes three hours for to charge so it’s out of commission for a while if it runs low.
This video shows that the Sesam is a successful proof-of-concept. This concept could become a viable option for farmers as the technology improves in the future.