Campbell Scott, founder of a company called Atomictractor and a former senior executive with global agricultural equipment firm AGCO, has announced plans for a new zero-emission power source for tractors.
Following the completion of a feasibility study with Aston University in Birmingham; it is claimed that the hybrid concept can deliver high torque and power over a long duration, with minimum downtime for recharge, making it ideal for the long working days of the harvest or cultivation seasons and a potential solution for farmers seeking to eliminate diesel costs and future-proof their energy source.
Further details on the precise nature of the technology itself remain confidential, however it has been described as “the application of the most appropriate solutions from the low-carbon world today and their integration into the specialised field of agriculture”.
Designed and developed in the UK, the power unit will have a global reach for use across multiple power applications in agriculture, with the current focus being on tractors up to 100 kW (or 134hp diesel engine equivalent).
Developments will continue to be undertaken in collaboration with Aston University, whilst partners are being sought to move the project into the prototype and commercialisation phase.
Mr Scott (pictured left) commented:
“We would ideally like to partner with an existing tractor manufacturer as there is a degree of engineering interface required between the new low-carbon drivetrain and the donor tractor and this can be best provided by the tractor maker. However, I am keen to discuss the project with all interested parties who share my vision to deliver practical approaches to the complex problems facing the future of mobile off-road energy sources”.
Linda Savitri, Business Navigator at the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership (CWLEP) Growth Hub, said:
“We have given Atomictractor ongoing advice and referred them to various support programmes including the SMARTERIALS programme at Aston University which involved carrying out a feasibility study for this exciting project.
“We have also provided this innovative start-up with access to mentoring support, since the Growth Hub is here to help businesses of all sizes to secure advice and information with their growth plans.”
Mr Scott also disclosed another key element in the initiative, a new electric-powered small tractor called the E20, based on the famous TE20 ‘Little Grey Fergie’ tractors from Ferguson, initially produced in Coventry in 1946 and designed for smaller farms looking for a “simple, workmate machine to carry out multiple jobs on the farm”.
Well-known in the farm machinery sector, Mr Scott possess considerable experience in the development and marketing of tractors and associated agricultural equipment, extending over 30 years. Following his departure from AGCO he has been studying the technology, public policy and commercial factors involved in the marketing of Electric Vehicles and how they can be applied to the world of agriculture.
“Agricultural applications make their own unique demands on a power source,” he remarked. “The integration of low-carbon solutions is a specialised subject which requires new and innovative thinking outside the traditional sphere of tractor engineering.”
For more information please visit www.atomictractors.com.
