Electric Tractor Cost Can Be Reduced By Tens of Thousands With California Program

Today many people believe electric vehicles are just about personal transportation such as electric cars, SUVs, pickup trucks, e-bikes, electric motorcycles, electric boats, etc. Fortunately, there are many other electric vehicles available. It wasn’t long ago I conducted an interview about fully electric tractors used for better vineyard management. Electric tractors, like other electric vehicles, have a number of benefits their fossil-fuel burning counterparts don’t.

Despite the current political turmoil and shift away from federal support for electric vehicles and clean, renewable electricity, the state of California still supports these technologies. In this particular case, the support is for electric tractors. Praveen Penmetsa, CEO & Co-founder at Monarch Tractor, answered some questions for CleanTechnica.

What is the CORE program and who is it for? 

The California Off-Road Equipment Voucher Incentive Project (CORE) is a multi-million-dollar  voucher incentive program intended to make currently commercialized, zero-emission, off-road  equipment more accessible to users through point-of-sale subsidization. This state program sets  a unique precedent; there are no scrappage requirements. 

Eligible applicants include California small businesses, including agribusinesses, public agencies, and other entities that operate or own zero-emission off-road equipment and machinery. There are additional savings incentives for low income and disadvantaged communities. 

Monarch Tractor, an industry leader in ag robotics and creator of both the MK-V, the world’s first 100% electric, driver-optional, and smart tractor, and Wingspan Ag Intelligence® (WingspanAI®), an advanced AI computing and farm management platform, is eligible for purchase through CORE. With Monarch, CORE represents an exciting savings opportunity for California-based agribusinesses, solar farms, and municipalities looking to cut costs, address labor challenges, and operate more efficiently and sustainably. However, savings vouchers are limited, and every year demand oversubscribes voucher availability.  

California customers who buy Monarch’s MK-V and MK-V Dairy electric tractors are eligible for how much in savings off the retail price? 

CORE’s popularity is due to its generous savings. Monarch’s MK-V and MK-V Dairy tractors are eligible for up to 67% off the retail price, putting the cost of the tractor on par with that of a similarly-sized diesel. Unlike a diesel, the MK-V brings daily payback in savings, data, and efficiency long after its purchase. Agricultural subsidies like CORE can be stacked with additional  incentives, making agricultural grants in California a particularly valuable investment tool for  farmers. 

How much are some of your customers saving in annual expenses by using your electric tractors rather than diesel ones? How much carbon emissions are not being generated? 

To date, Monarch has seen many successes with farmers integrating MK-V tractors into their daily operations, ranging from pushing feed to vegetation management. In one case, Gamble Estate Vineyards of California reported the MK-V is saving the farm $10K-$12K in fuel costs and 40-50 tons of carbon emissions annually. A dairy farm reported 33 metric tons of CO2 saved, which is about eight gas-powered passenger vehicles driven for a full year.  

Do your electric tractors typically have lower maintenance and repair costs than diesel tractors because they have fewer moving parts? 

Electric vehicles, including off-road electric tractors, typically require less overall maintenance than diesel tractors due to fewer moving parts, and zero emissions means that engine oil changes and air filters are not required. Tech-driven support is built into the MK-V’s platform so operators can submit a ticket directly from the tractor’s smart screen or WingspanAI app, enabling real-time diagnostics, remote troubleshooting with OTA updates, or deployment of a field tech, if necessary. Monarch’s expanding dealer network brings services and support across California, the U.S., and Canada. 

Do some of your customers also have their own solar power so they can charge using clean, renewable electricity? 

For some customers, solar plays a key role in their sustainability efforts or farm electrification strategy. Some customers do charge their MK-V tractors with a farm battery that stores energy generated from their panels. Others use their panels to offset their reliance on the grid. One customer is testing a portable solar panel device that is pulled by the MK-V and serves as a shade structure for cattle. The panels shelter the cattle, and an integrated battery charges the tractor with solar-generated energy. As the adoption of electrification continues to grow, as enabled by CORE, the initial investment in solar panels will come with attractive and quick payback. 

The MK-V is a software-defined off-road vehicle, what does that mean, practically speaking, during day-to-day operations? 

A software-defined vehicle (SDV) is a machine where software controls most of the vehicle’s core functions. Instead of relying solely on mechanical parts and manual updates, SDVs are intelligent, connected, and continuously improving.  

Because the MK-V is an off-road SDV, its updates, improvements, and even some repairs can be configured digitally and sent over-the-air. This means the tractor can improve with new developments and better functionality even after the purchase date without the need for an owner to go to the dealership or schedule an in-person visit. 

For day-to-day operations, an SDV like Monarch’s MK-V enables: 

• Over-the-air (OTA) software updates which can improve performance, add new features, or fix bugs.  
• Real-time data collection to continuously gather data from sensors and systems such as battery health and field conditions, which helps farmers make informed decisions. 
• Autonomous operations, obstacle detection, task optimization, and any off-road operation for greater efficiency.  
• Digital personas for individual users (e.g., farmer, owner, or operator).  

The creation and functionality of a digital persona is a feature that sets Monarch’s MK-V apart from other off-road SDVs. A digital persona is the unique identity of individual users who operate the tractor. This profile allows a farmer, manager, or owner to: 

• Track who used the tractor and when, which is helpful for fleet management and performance review.  
• Optimize and automate repetitive tasks like setting the configuration for a feed-push blade or rear implement height (e.g., mowers and cultivators).  
• Receive safety alerts.
• Set usage restrictions and permissions, which can be tailored to individual users.
• Review data insights so farm managers can compare performance across operators to improve productivity, safety protocols, and more.