Turkey will start electric tractor production in October: Official

The mass production of Turkey's first electric tractor can be postponed by one month to October due to the coronavirus pandemic, a senior Agriculture Ministry official said on April 19.

"Work is continuing to set the electric tractor production line. We will start manufacturing as soon as the production line is ready," said Özkan Kayacan, Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM) general director.

"We aimed to release the electric tractors at the end of August or the beginning of September, but it can be delayed by one month," he added.

Demand for the indigenous electric tractor is already high, said Kayacan, adding, "If I announce that it is for sale, some 1,000 of them would be sold overnight. The demand is high because fuel cost is high. We are talking about decreasing the current fuel cost by a 20th."

An electric tractor is expected to help a farmer save 133,000 Turkish Liras ($18,720) yearly on average, according to the Agriculture and Forestry Ministry's estimate.

The ministry is planning to produce 10,000 electric tractors at its plant in the northwestern province of Kocaeli's Gebze district, a focal point of the Turkish automotive industry.

The first prototype of the Turkish electric tractor with 105 horsepower will run on 236 batteries with a 20-year lifetime.

Another version with 250 horsepower will be produced for export.