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CountryWide

Hybrid and electric tractors from China

18 Apr 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What is the current state of tractor technology in Ireland?

0.031 - 27.564 Philip

There are 200,000 tractors in Ireland. 170,000 of them would be about the same size and power range as that very snazzy Fent battery tractor that we got a demo of earlier. Then there are about 30,000 much bigger beasts, the ones that need to put in an 18-hour working day, that need up to and beyond 400 horsepower. for the kind of work that they have to do. Can they ever be electrified?

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27.704 - 50.834 Philip

Could you even get maybe a hybrid model? Well, the answer, if you ask the big traditional brands, that question is no, not for a long time. The answer, though, if you ask the Chinese is, of course, what colour would you like it in? Rob McNaughton is importing one brand of Chinese hybrid battery tractor into Ireland. Now, Zoom line, he joins me this morning.

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Chapter 2: How do hybrid tractors compare to traditional diesel models?

50.894 - 57.876 Philip

Good morning, Rob. morning, Philip. How many different kinds of Zoom Lion tractor are you going to be selling?

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59.217 - 70.549 Rob McNaughton

Initially, the product offering is 10 units. That's ranging from 50 horsepower all the way up to 350 horsepower, three of which are hybrid, the 160, the 260 and the 350.

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71.41 - 75.475 Philip

And what kind of a diesel saving do you make by going hybrid?

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76.676 - 82.182 Rob McNaughton

Well, what Zoom Lion have done is, the architect is similar to what they would have done in locomotives, so it's an

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84.254 - 104.946 Rob McNaughton

to Zoomline, but it's certainly, what they use is an engine running a generator, and what that does is it gives you consistency of power, so you don't have, you're not relying on electricity all the time, it's just connected, so you have huge torque from down low in the rev range all the way up to the height.

105.483 - 108.848 Philip

So 20%, 30%, 40% saving on diesel?

108.888 - 113.274 Rob McNaughton

30%, yeah. Yeah, 30%, north of 30% savings on the fuel.

113.294 - 125.972 Philip

30%, okay. Bearing in mind that the rule of thumb here is €1,000 will get you one horsepower in most tractors, give me an idea of the price range for these hybrid tractors.

126.543 - 155.12 Rob McNaughton

Zoomland are targeting between €500 and €750 per horsepower. Bear in mind, the technology is advanced and there's a lot of moving pieces in it. And to make it competitive and to compete with diesel, traditional diesel tractors, and especially being Chinese, even though that stigma is now leaving and people are accepting Chinese products. The price range of that is exciting for us.

Chapter 3: What are the different models of Zoomlion tractors available?

212.87 - 220 Philip

Pure electric 400-horsepower tractor, still a good deal away, but there is an awful lot of options that do actually exist.

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