Engineers at John Deere’s electric tractor skunkworks have been cooking up a battery powered prototype that will match the performance of a 130hp diesel.

Rather than bolt new bits onto an existing frame, they’ve treated the EPower to a bespoke “skateboard” chassis that houses up to five high-capacity battery packs produced by Austrian outfit Kreisel.

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Each of these has a 39kWh capacity, allowing the tractor to carry out several hours of light-duty work, such as spraying, tedding or raking, to a charge.

Once depleted, these can be replenished using a conventional wall box or, for those requiring fast turnarounds, a dedicated high-speed unit.

This can get them back to full strength in about half an hour.

Seven motors are tasked with running the tractor’s various functions, removing the need for a conventional transmission.

And though the headline power output is 130hp, it’s capable of providing this to the wheels, pto and hydraulic services simultaneously.

Deere reckons fuel costs are about a third less than a diesel and, thanks to fewer moving parts, servicing bills should be halved.

Production versions are coming, with the first examples scheduled to launch in the US sometime in 2027.