New Holland’s new hybrid telehandler uses methane to power a range-extending combustion engine, without relying on diesel or gas.
When pig, cow, or poultry manure is combined with silage residues such as corn husks, grass clippings, and even composted food scraps, the mix can be fed into a manure digester to produce biogas. This renewable, low-carbon fuel can be burned to generate heat and electricity or refined further to power machinery with impressive consistency and reliability.
Large farming operations routinely generate biogas in massive volumes at costs far below those of conventional grid energy or fossil fuels. That means any equipment capable of running on biogas gains a major total cost of ownership advantage, especially over long, high-duty cycles in demanding agricultural environments.Hybrid targets farms that generate their own biogasAgricultural schedules can be unpredictable, and most of the year involves manageable 4–6 hour cycles – but harvest season requires continuous, 24-hour operation – a situation where fully electric machines can fall short. This challenge has pushed some companies toward power-agnostic, swappable energy modules. New Holland, instead, is taking a more familiar extended-range hybrid approach by pairing batteries with a methane-fueled combustion engine to provide steady power and reduce downtime, Electrek reported.As the company explains, the development builds on earlier efforts to bring lower-emission equipment into mainstream agricultural use while still meeting the day-to-day expectations of farmers who rely on dependable power and long-duty-cycle equipment. The goal is to give customers a way to improve productivity and profitability without being forced to choose between sustainability and performance, the company noted.Furthermore, by broadening its portfolio of machines that run on non-traditional fuels, including methane, the agricultural machinery company sees a path to reducing agriculture’s carbon footprint without disrupting established field workflows.Combining 70 kWh battery with a methane range extenderThe hybrid setup centers on a 70 kWh lithium-ion battery that serves as the main power source, providing quiet operation and strong torque for everyday farm duties. When a job stretches beyond the battery’s available capacity – during heavy lifting, winter work, or busy harvest periods – a methane-fueled version of Fiat Powertrain’s four-cylinder F28 engine steps in as a range extender to keep the machine running without interruption. Early field testing indicates that the methane-electric hybrid layout offers meaningful improvements over conventional diesel machinery. In controlled material-handling trials, the prototype recorded up to a 70% reduction in energy use when compared with similar diesel models, reflecting both the efficiency of the electric drivetrain and the lower cost of methane-based energy.The same tests also showed a 30% increase in overall performance, efficiency, and operating autonomy compared with a comparable diesel-powered vehicle during typical day-to-day farm tasks. The electric powertrain enhances productivity through independent traction and attachment control, adjustable shuttling, and fewer moving parts, which help reduce vibration and improve reliability. Its quiet operation and zero emissions benefit both operators and nearby animals, making the telehandler well-suited for sensitive farm environments while supporting longer, more comfortable workdays.
Energy &Amp Environment Energy Cost Inventions And Machines Methane Methane Hybrid New Holland Telehandler
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