Overview
In the UK, 69% of the total land area is utilised for agriculture, most of which is permanent grassland for grazing forage (1). The National Farmers’ Union has set a 2040 deadline for net-zero emissions (2). The agricultural sector is one of the smaller emitters of greenhouse gases. However, the reduction in the sector’s carbon dioxide emissions has been modest compared to other sectors. This is because the focus for reducing emissions has been the nitrous oxide predominantly produced by manure and fertiliser, rather than the carbon dioxide from fuel and vehicles. However, to reach its net-zero goals, no area can be ignored.
The question is, can vehicle electrification facilitate the reduction of CO2 emissions?
What challenges does the agriculture industry face for switching to EVs?
To understand whether EVs even work within this context, we need to examine what sort of vehicles the sector utilises and what sort of environment they operate within.
When it comes to farming vehicles, tractors spring to mind. These are large, heavy vehicles primarily powered by diesel engines. Tractors need a high horsepower to trudge through churned soil and travel across numerous hectares of arable land per day.
At present, the issue with electrifying tractors is battery technology. The batteries that can match diesel’s energy density are extremely heavy and expensive. This added weight can cause further issues, since it can compact the soil too much, spoiling the crop. There are several manufacturers producing electric tractors at present, but often they are smaller models and ill-suited for supporting large machinery. Meanwhile, the cost is higher than the ICE alternatives.
To power larger vehicles, farmers could consider solutions such as easily swappable batteries or having the EV tractor powered by cable. For instance, John Dere has created a 400 horsepower tractor (3) which is powered by a cable. Although, the presence of the cable presents its own set of challenges.
The other challenge for the electrification of agriculture vehicles is the question of power. As they are situated in rural areas, many farms are constrained by a limited grid capacity. As we have explored in other articles, upgrading an existing grid connection can be a costly and time-consuming process.
Is the agricultural sector ready for EVs?
There is still a large part of the overall agricultural fleet that could be electrified. Though tractors may not be viable for the transition to EVs, most working vehicles on a farm are not heavy machinery.
Small utility vehicles, cars and ATVs used for day-to-day transport and operations can easily be replaced by the EV counterparts. These vehicles typically operate over much shorter distances and are used for maintenance, transporting materials around the farm and carrying small loads.
Most of the farmed land in the UK is not for crops but for pastoral land. This means that for most farms, these smaller vehicles form the backbone of the fleet, as there is less of a need for heavy vehicles. As EVs are much quieter than ICE vehicles, they cause less distress to livestock and newborn animals (4). Meanwhile, the lower fuel and maintenance costs also help to tip the scales in favour of using the electric versions of these vehicles.
Their smaller batteries also mean that chargers can more easily be installed and run from existing grid connections, allowing for them to be charged on-site in barns or garages.
Farms that diversify their income through farm shops and event spaces could also install chargers that are open to the public. These charging hubs could help boost income through a variety of different ownership models, while providing valuable charging points in otherwise underserved areas.
Finally, 98% of all UK agricultural products are shipped through road freight (5). This is the key area to decarbonise and often falls under more traditional fleet electrification strategies. One option is to electrify the surrounding supply chains of the agricultural sector, where predictable routes and depots create a greater incentive. This can lead to the upgrade of grid connections and localised depots in the surrounding area, which in turn feeds back directly to farmers, who can take advantage of this existing infrastructure.
Agricultural EVs and the future
Though the technological gap could impede the sector reaching the 2040 goal for net-zero agriculture, there remain several areas where EVs can play a pivotal role in decarbonising the industry now. Lighter vehicles and supply chains already have the means to make the transition.
Find out more
Mer helps its fleet customers plan their electrification journey. If you are interested in electrifying your fleet, whether it is directly involved in agriculture or services that industry, speak to one of our experts.
