Electric tractors can perform comparable farm operations in the same or less time than diesel tractors while reducing energy costs by 64% to 84% per acre, according to an 11-month pilot study by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT). The study tracked five electric tractor models from four manufacturers across four Haryana districts.
The pilot covered tillage, sowing, crop-residue management and transport operations. It is among the first attempts in India to assess e-tractor performance under actual farm conditions rather than relying primarily on manufacturer specifications.
The findings come as paddy harvesting begins and concerns around stubble burning return in the National Capital Region (NCR). The study also examined tractor use beyond agriculture, particularly in industrial and peri-urban applications.
Electric Tractors Deliver Up To 78% Energy Savings
Across major farm operations, electric tractors used up to 78% less energy per acre than diesel tractors. The largest energy saving was recorded during rotavating, where energy use fell by 78%, translating into an 84% reduction in energy cost.
In baling, electric tractors produced 17% more bales per hour than diesel tractors while using around one-third as much energy. The resulting energy cost was 64% lower than for diesel tractors.
Transport applications also showed significant differences. The study recorded energy-use reductions of 30% to 53% on long-haul trips and more than 95% on short-haul trips. These translated into cost savings of about 60% on long hauls and more than 98% on short hauls.
Battery Endurance Remains A Constraint
Despite the lower energy consumption, battery endurance was identified as the main limitation for electric tractors. Under heavy loads, the tested e-tractors operated continuously for 1.5 to three hours, compared with 10 to 12 hours for diesel tractors during peak harvest periods.
For lighter, longer-duration operations such as hay raking, electric tractors were able to operate for durations closer to diesel tractors. The study also found that e-tractors matched or bettered diesel tractors in the time taken for most of the tested tasks, despite having lower rated horsepower.
Commercial And Non-Farm Tractor Use
The study identified Gurugram, Palwal, Yamunanagar and Panipat among Haryana districts where tractor numbers are substantially higher than the requirements indicated by cropped area. ICCT linked this to the use of tractors for non-farm haulage and construction logistics, applications it identified as suitable for electrification.
The study also highlighted the emissions implications of continued diesel tractor use. India registers close to one million new tractors annually, while current TREM IIIA standards allow tractors to emit roughly 60 times the particulate matter permitted for trucks and buses. Given that tractors typically remain in service for 10 to 15 years, vehicles sold under current standards could continue operating into the 2040s.
Despite subsidy support from states including Haryana and Maharashtra, electric tractor sales remain limited. Only 218 e-tractors were sold across India in 2025, with 16% of those registrations classified for agricultural use.
ICCT Calls For Wider E-Tractor Support
ICCT has recommended expanding subsidy eligibility to commercial e-tractor applications, where the pilot found a strong economic case. It also called for public procurement of electric tractors for municipal waste management and airport ground logistics.
Other recommendations include faster empanelment of certified electric tractor models on the government's approved agricultural machinery list, along with investment in distributed and cluster-based charging infrastructure. The latter includes battery-swapping and fast-charging pilots to address the endurance constraint.
The organisation has also recommended extending air-quality regulations to on-road diesel tractor use in pollution-sensitive regions and establishing a firm timeline for stricter TREM V emission standards.