Fuel cell tractor prototype debuts in Italy
Fiat subsidiary offers a glimpse into the future of farmingItalian-owned agricultural equipment maker New Holland has unveiled the world's first hydrogen fuel-cell powered tractor at a trade show in France.
Built on the company's T6000 platform, the NH2 replaces that unit's normal diesel powertrain with a zero emissions system.
Developed in cohorts with parent company Fiat and fellow subsidiary Iveco, it features a 79kW electric motor driving all four wheels and powered by a hydrogen fuel cell stack. This is supplemented by a trio of lithium ion batteries drawing and storing energy from a regenerative braking system.
The fuel cell component functions most efficiently in steady-state mode -- that is, with an unfluctuating, 'flatline' current output -- and the battery pack serves as a booster when a spike of extra power is needed.
With fuel cell technology still in its embryonic stages, early reports are that the NH2 is unviably short on range and long on cost.
Unsurprisingly, New Holland is telling media it's four years or more away from production.
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