These electric self-driving tractors could make farming much greener

[Johnboy60]

A startup based in California says it can help farmers be greener and more profitable by offering what it describes as the world's first fully electric, self-driving tractor.

An electric self-driving tractor could make farming much greener - CNN

 

[iluvatar5150]

That's nice, and I'm sure it's a step in the right direction, but that's way too small to make much of a dent in anything. A tractor that size is like what you'd have to take care of a small hobby farm or mow the couple of acres next to a house.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

I wonder how much coal is burned to charge the tractor.

 

[WolfGate]

I wonder how much coal is burned to charge the tractor.

A question with electric vehicles that is often overlooked and definitely comes into play. No power generation source is currently totally without "green" impact. Fuel used to create the electric power does matter. If an electric car is charged using coal generated electricity, it is pretty much a wash. If it is charged using most other forms of generated electricity, the difference is great. As a broad brush average of similar vehicles, when modeled across the entire US power grid, "an all-electric Chevrolet Bolt can be expected to produce 189 grams of carbon dioxide for every mile driven over its lifetime, on average. By contrast, a new gasoline-fueled Toyota Camry is estimated to produce 385 grams of carbon dioxide per mile.".

The US is also working to clean up the power grid, which will continue to help. Eventually (decades away) hydrogen based fuel cells have great promise to both be very green and to give energy independence.