Joskin and John Deere have been working on electric drivetrains for the past few years, and the fruits of their labours are now getting close to the production phase.

The slurry specialist’s role in the project has been to fit a 100kW electric motor to its 26000 TRS Euroliner tanker, which sends drive to the two rear axles.

See also: Joskin and John Deere provide slurry analysis on the move

According to the firm, this is far simpler than the current mechanical-driven axle set-up, which requires a skilled operator to balance the power flow through the driveline.

The move to electric allows the tractor to control the speed of the tanker’s wheels via an Isobus connection, which means the driver has no role to play once it has been hooked up and switched on.

John Deere’s part of the puzzle is the new eAutopowr transmission for the 8R tractor range. This works a little like the regular Autopowr continuously variable box, but replaces the hydraulic components with electric ones.

These include a pair of brushless motors, which are virtually maintenance-free, meaning servicing and running costs should be significantly lower than the conventional version. It also promises more precise speed regulation and snappier performance.

An added benefit is that it is also capable of providing up to 100kW of electrical power that can be sent to implements, such as Joskin’s tanker. Both firms now have fully working pre-production machines and these could be on sale in less than five years.