Oct. 17, 2021
The AUGA M1 prototype features a hybrid biomethane-electric power system, which will help reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
AUGA Group, Europe’s largest vertically integrated organic food producer, recently announced that it had released the AUGA M1 prototype, the world's first hybrid biomethane and electric tractor. The AUGA M1 is the company's first electric tractor that can operate continuously for up to 12 hours and solves the problem of refueling with replaceable biomethane cartridges.
The AUGA M1 is among the world's first "green tractors." The term green tractor does not refer the branding and company, but rather the fact that the tractor has a very small environmental footprint.
Electrification is a growing trend, and more manufacturers such as John Deere, Kubota and others have created electric tractor prototypes. Similar to trends we see in the auto industry, more farm equipment manufacturers will release electric tractors in the coming years as the technology evolves. Electrification could offer meaningful costs savings for farmers in the form of lower fuel and repair costs.
The AUGA M1 differs from other electric tractor prototypes because it uses a hybrid fuel system with an electric motor powered by internal combustion from the biomethane and battery storage. The AUGA M1 features internal combustion used to provide energy, which is similar to the most common hybrid automobiles on the market today, such as the Toyota Prius.
The AUGA M1 is designed to accommodate larger, specialized canisters that can be refilled. The tractor is set to enter production in Lithuania next year, and it will come with a top speed of about eight miles per hour. The AUGA M1 could reduce an average farm's carbon footprint by 100 tons or more per year.
Methane, which can be collected from livestock waste and converted to biomethane, offsets more emissions per unit of energy in its production and use cycle than it emits. Scientists around the world are focused on reducing the environmental impact of methane produced from livestock waste. Capturing the methane and using it as a power source may result in a double-win by solving two environmental challenges at once.
Our team of engineers has found solutions to solve the problem of refueling and ensure the uninterrupted operation of the tractor throughout the working day. Currently, biomethane-powered tractors are able to operate for only 2-4 hours because the gas cylinders do not physically fit into the tractor structure. However, farmers need agricultural machinery that can work for 12 hours or more. AUGA group understands this perfectly and has created a solution.
- Kęstutis Juščius, CEO of AUGA Group
Source: AUGA Group
Our invention makes it possible to create a wide range of tractor applications and make it accessible to all farmers who want to work sustainably. We are not developing technology just to solve [our] own emissions and deliver on the promise of becoming a CO2-neutral company by 2030. Our goal is bigger – we will strive to make this tractor and other technologies that are still being developed available to farmers all over the world and help solve the global problem of pollution in the agricultural sector.
- Kęstutis Juščius, CEO of AUGA Group
AUGA Group, based in Lithuania, is the largest vertically integrated organic food company in Europe. AUGA Group manages almost 100,000 acres of organically certified arable land and employs over 1,200 people. AUGA Group is focused on developing new technologies to promote sustainable farming solutions in crops, dairy cows, chicken and mushroom growing. The company produces a wide range of organic food products and commodities.
AUGA Group management team
Source: AUGA Group
