Get FinancingNew Holland T6 Methane Power Tractor Debuts At World Ag Expo; U.S. Availability Coming This Year
In early February, New Holland announced that production units of its T6 Methane Power tractor will be available in the U.S. this year. The announcement aligned with the alternative-fuel tractor’s U.S. debut at the World Ag Expo, which took place February 8 to 10 in Tulare, California. New Holland began delivering production units of the tractor to select customers in Europe in February 2021.
“It is a significant step forward on the path to decarbonizing agriculture, and it is happening now, as the development of this sustainable tractor has reached its production phase,” says Michael Cornman, New Holland livestock and dairy segment manager in America.
Sustainable Benefits
The T6.180 Methane Power can run on biomethane or compressed natural gas (CNG). The tractor is powered by an all-new 6.7-liter, six-cylinder FPT Industrial NEF engine that’s rated for 145 horsepower (108 kilowatts) but has a 175-HP (130.5-kW) maximum boosted engine rating. The tractor’s performance, including its 545 pounds-foot (740 newton-meters) of torque, equals that of a diesel equivalent, but the T6 Methane Power costs an estimated 30% less to operate, New Holland says.
What’s more the tractor generates 98% less particulate matter, 90% less non-methane hydrocarbons, 75% less carbon monoxide, and 62% less nitrogen oxides than are allowed for by European Stage V emissions regulations. Fueled on biomethane, an up to 10 to 15% reduction in carbon dioxide is possible, as well, resulting in a negative emission profile. Like New Holland, FPT has a long track record of pursuing sustainable power for vehicles and equipment. The company has more than 20 years’ experience in natural gas powertrain technology, and says it has manufactured 50,000 natural gas engines to date.
A Sustainable Timeline
The T6 Methane Power tractor’s origins trace back to 2006 and the launch of New Holland’s Clean Energy Leader alternative fuel strategy. The company debuted a T6 Methane Power prototype in 2013. In 2017, the Methane Powered Concept Tractor emerged; it won a Good Design Award in 2018. The first production T6 Methane Power tractor debuted in 2019 at the Agritechnica trade show. Both the concept and production versions have won Sustainable Tractor Of The Year honors—the concept tractor in 2019 at Agritechnica and the production version in 2021 at EIMA.
Moving forward, the T6 Methane Power will factor into New Holland’s Energy Independent Farm concept as part of a true circular economy “from fields to energy generation and back to the fields” that creates a complete CO2-neutral cycle. New Holland notes that livestock and dairy farmers who produce biomethane from manure can actually subtract carbon dioxide from the environment, generating a carbon-negative footprint.
More Than Methane
The T6.180 Methane Power boasts numerous other impressive features you’d expect in a New Holland tractor. For example, the Horizon Cab encompasses 63 square feet (5.9 square meters) of glass and a high-visibility roof panel that provides excellent sightlines all around the tractor. Cab noise level is an outstanding 69 decibels. Moreover, the NEF engine generates 5 fewer decibels of noise and less vibration than its diesel counterparts.
Also available are multiple Electro Command semi-powershift with AutoShift transmission options and Precision Land Management precision-farming technologies such as IntelliSteer automatic steering and the turn path-plotting IntelliTurn system. The tractor is also compatible with LA Series loaders.
Source: CNH Industrial