Herbert Diess's Electric Tractor: Swappable Batteries and 2027 Launch
D.Novikov
Former VW CEO Herbert Diess plans electric tractor with swappable batteries by 2027. It aims to be competitive with diesel and support on-farm solar charging.
Former Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess has turned his sights on electrifying agriculture. His company, Diess E-Agrartechnik AG, plans to launch a mid-range electric tractor in 2027.
Built for farmers and municipal services, the tractor's standout feature is a swappable battery system that enables almost continuous operation. While one battery pack is in use, another can be charging. For agriculture, this is more important than green rhetoric: a tractor cannot afford to sit idle during a workday.
Diess promises that from its initial deliveries, the electric model will be competitive with equivalent diesel tractors. He aims to achieve this through competitive pricing, high quality, and the ability to use electricity generated on farms via solar panels. In that scenario, owners get more than just a green vehicle — they reduce their reliance on diesel.
According to Diess, the company is on schedule and already has a strong core team. Partners include an agricultural machinery manufacturer and suppliers from Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, though their names remain undisclosed. Beyond tractors, the firm plans to offer charging stations and electric attachments, and eventually autonomous farm machinery.
Since leaving Volkswagen, Diess has stayed active in business: since 2023, he has chaired Infineon's supervisory board, participates in startups, and develops his own projects. The electric tractor is a logical next step — if batteries are transforming cars and trucks, the next frontier is where diesel once seemed almost irreplaceable.
