ALTERNATIVE FUEL AG MACHINERY SHOWCASED

New Holland Agriculture unveiled two new prototype tractors (the T7 Methane Power Liquefied Natural Gas and the T4 Electric Power) and new autonomy features at the CNH Industrial Tech Day event, which was held in Phoenix, Arizona, on December 7th and 8th, 2022.

The two-day event was organised by CNH Industrial to demonstrate the progress the company has made in the area of Precision Technology.

T7 Methane Power LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) prototype tractor

The world’s first LNG tractor unveiled at the event is a prototype developed to meet the increasing need for high horsepower machines that combine excellent performance with lower emissions and operating costs.

CNH say with its LNG power solution, New Holland will more than double the autonomy of its current methane products while increasing overall farm sustainability. This is because using liquefied methane delivers four times as much fuel storage capacity when compared to using compressed gas (CNG). This says the manufacturer, greatly increases the tractor’s autonomy, even when performing power intensive applications. With a 270hp model, the T7 Methane Power LNG delivers the same power and torque as the equivalent diesel tractor.

Carlo Lambro, brand president New Holland Agriculture said, “This prototype shows the world that our commitment to sustainability is here to stay. We believe the best solution currently available on the market to lower emissions and costs is natural gas - especially biomethane. Farmers still need powerful tractors, this is why we are offering all the benefits of this solution to our customers on our high horsepower tractors above 200 hp. We also know that autonomy is very important for our customers: we have already improved it in our existing T6 Methane Power tractor, and we have further extended it with the new T7 Methane Power LNG. This premiere complements New Holland’s existing T6 Methane Power and CNH Industrial’s wider alternative power portfolio.”

T4 Electric Power

The second major innovation unveiled at the event was described as the industry’s first all-electric utility tractor prototype with autonomous features, the T4 Electric Power.

This tractor, suitable for lower horsepower operations, marks an important milestone on New Holland’s path to electrification. Carlo Lambro said, “The T4 Electric Power is the result of our extensive research and investment focused on electric solutions in agriculture, supported by CNH Industrial.

"With this new multipurpose tractor, we add an important piece of the puzzle to our full liner strategy, providing our customers with the ideal electric tractor for lower horsepower operations: a highly cost-effective, carbon neutral solution perfectly suited for mixed farms, livestock, municipality, orchard and specialty applications.”

Precision intelligence

The two prototypes presented at the Tech Day were also equipped with the company's latest precision technology features.

The T7 Methane Power LNG inherits the best features from New Holland’s PLM Intelligence suite of solutions. Whilst the T4 Electric Power marks an advance towards autonomous driving with automated features guided by sensors and cameras on the tractor that allow operators to synchronize multiple machines, detect and avoid obstacles, and check the status of processes.