Electric Tractor Guide

Tractors are essential machinery across an array of industries, playing a key role in tasks ranging from crop cultivation to harvest to dairy operations as well as broad acre mowing. The diesel vs. electric tractor debate continues to spark intense discussions in the agricultural world, especially as electric tractors become more sophisticated and bring tangible gains to farms and land management operations. Investing in any type of tractor represents a financial commitment and deciding between diesel and electric tractors can impact a farm’s success and longevity.  

EV tractors represent an increasingly more visible sector in the tractor market. While battery tractor technology is not yet practical for large, industrial tractors used on row crops like corn, wheat, and soy, farmers and land managers have more choices among electric, compact tractors suitable for specialty farms. These are the farms that grow nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables. Dairies, solar farms, and municipalities are among the many other industries that deploy compact tractors to get work done. 

Deciding if, when, and how to incorporate an EV tractor into your machinery ecosystem is an important decision. In addition to being a 100% electric tractor, Monarch’s MK-V is also smart and driver-optional, all of which bring additional value to a farm. Learn what electric tractor manufacturers are striving to provide farmers and gain insights on what operations with an EV tractor look like.  

Electric tractors are often described as technologically advanced machinery that is helping bring agriculture into the future. But farmers and land managers must work with what they have available today, and that includes today’s implements. Plus, payback on the electric tractor price gets better the more it’s used, so buyers need to feel confident they can get thousands of usage hours out of their tractor. When researching the best electric tractor for your agribusiness, it’s critical to know if it can work with your current ecosystem of implements as well as the next generation of implements and electric farm equipment. 

What does that mean? Tractors need to do the difficult, hard work they have always done. That’s the baseline. They also need to minimize the risk of adoption and enable a farm to take advantage of technological advancements and the increased efficiency and profitability that comes with innovation. For instance, because Monarch’s MK-V technology platform, Wingspan Ag Intelligence™ (WingspanAI™) is built with an open architecture, other manufacturers can develop implements and apps that run off WingspanAI, much like a developer creates an app that can be used with a smartphone. In spring 2025, Monarch released its first digital implement in partnership with another AgTech manufacturer. This implement collects detailed, plant-level information while the tractor performs routine tasks such as mowing or seeding, resulting in additional savings and gains for a farm. This is on top of the value a farm is already realizing through its deployment of an electric compact tractor. 

Electric tractor battery safety and reliability are a top-of-mind question for many who are considering an electric tractor. There are several elements at play here. Battery management systems affect a tractor battery’s overall safety and runtime. At the same time, fuel savings is one of the many benefits of using an electric tractor. But is the savings worth it after factoring in charging equipment and the cost of electricity if a farm doesn’t have access to renewable energy?  In a word, yes. By quite a bit. However, total savings will vary from state-to-state depending on the cost of electricity. 

Get the basics on what is a battery management system, how long an EV battery can last, time to charge, and economics of charging an EV tractor. Explore customer stories on electrification and use of batteries that includes details on effort and savings.