WESTERN PRODUCER — Farmers will soon have access to cleaner and quieter tractors with the February launch of New Holland’s T6 Methane Power tractor during the World Ag Expo in California.
The tractor’s new powerplant was built by FPT Industrial, which has a long history of collaboration with CNH Industrial.
“FPT was part of CNH Industrial up until the beginning of this year. It was a sister company and, of course, we still have that same type of relationship after the demerger spin off,” said Jon Hundley of FPT.
FPT offers power options to major OEMs in multiple industries including the marine and agriculture sectors, and it’s also moving into electrification and hydrogen power.
“We purchased Nikola and there’s a lot to this battery manufacturer in Arizona. So, we’re looking at electrification, we’re looking at hydrogen, we’re looking at all possible ways that we can power a unit,” Hundley said.
“A powertrain to us is just that, a powertrain. It doesn’t have to be a diesel engine, it doesn’t have to be a natural gas engine, it has to simply be what powers whatever you need to power, and we are constantly evolving to stay with that trend.”
The new 6.7-litre engine in the New Holland’s T6 Methane Power tractor was developed by FPT for agricultural applications, however, it will likely be adapted for other uses.
“Torque, we’re looking at 740 Nm (Newton metre) at 2,200 r.p.m., rated power is 145 horse(power) and then max horse is 180. It’s a six cylinder with a 6,728 (cubic centimetre) displacement,” Hundley said.
“There is considerable interest in this engine in different applications and power generation segments and the industrial segment. So industrial can mean anything from (turbines) to pumps. You know, you name it, anything that would have an engine.”
The T6 Methane Power tractor can match the power of its diesel equivalents, with the added benefit of up to 30 percent reduction in running costs and it’s far quieter.
“It’s a gas engine. So, there’s going to be spark plugs, but it really operates the same as a standard gas engine. It’s just we’re running off compressed natural gas or through biogas methane,” Hundley said.
“It has the exact same specifications as the diesel engine in terms of horsepower and torque, so you are not sacrificing any efficiency or any power.”
He said using biogas is akin to the holy grail in terms of sustainability, because farmers could use their own crops and animal waste to power their equipment.
“The cost of a biodigester is pretty expensive right now, so we would expect to see some type of co-op for biodigesters for some of your smaller operations.”
In the meantime, CNG, natural gas compressed at high pressure, can be used to power the tractor.
“With the expansion tanks, you can run for four or five hours a day with no issues at all,” Hundley said.
“If you have a CNG tank or if you have high pressure CNG available to you it’s just like going to fill up your tractor with diesel, and maybe a little quicker.
The gas tank on the T6 Methane Power has 49 gallons of capacity and is in the same position as the tank on the regular T6 tractor models.
There is also an optional front-mounted range extender that has an additional 71 gallons of fuel capacity, and the tractor has gas connection points at the front and rear for additional fuel storage mounted on trailers or implements.
Hundley said he’s often asked about the safety of using compressed natural gas or methane in mobile equipment operating in rough terrain.
“There are multiple failsafes on these tractors and tanks that will blow numerous relief valves and sensors that will not allow any type of explosion to take place,” he said.
The engine offers an 80 percent reduction in emissions, and it doesn’t require any after-treatment apparatus on the exhaust systems.
“You have no EGR (exhaust gas recirculation), you have no DPF (diesel particulate filter), you have no DLC (data link connector), SCR (selective catalytic reduction), no diesel exhaust fluid. We’re talking pretty much an engine, spark plugs, throttle body and you know the electronics that you’d have in any other engine,” Hundley said.
The T6 has a semi-powershift transmission for clutchless gear changes, and an optional cab suspension system that has two rubber isolators at the front corners of the cab and a sway bar with two spring-loaded shock absorbers at the rear.
The New Holland’s T6 Methane Power tractor is expected to be available in limited quantities in July, with more tractors expected in early 2023.
“We’re talking 80 percent reduction in the bad stuff that we don’t want to be putting out into the world, 50 percent reduction in noise, and then 30 percent reduction in total cost of ownership. It really checks all the boxes,” Hundley said.
