The battery-electric tractor which will be unveiled at the Ploughing Championships in Tullamire, and the team from Hibra Design in Cork which developed it on foot of a commission from BNM (Bord na Mona).

‘Groundbreaking’ electric tractor to be unveiled at Ploughing in Tullamore

Published: Wed 3 Sep 2025, 5:35 PM

Last updated: Wed 3 Sep 2025, 7:09 PM

Ireland's first fully-operational battery-electric tractor, which is one of the few in the world, has been developed by Hibra Design.

Commissioned by BNM (Bord Na Mona), the tractor has been "specifically-engineered for the challenging conditions of Irish boglands" and it will be unveiled at the National Ploughing Championships which take place in Tullamore from September 16-18.

The vehicle is a John Deere agricultural tractor re-engineered from diesel to full battery-electric power.

It offers more than 400Nm of torque, a 55kWh battery providing up to 2.5 hours of continuous operation, and a rapid 1-hour recharge capability.

Hibra Design, a Cork-based specialist vehicle design engineering company, described the development of the vehicle as a "groundbreaking" innovation.

It said the electric tractor was "a versatile workhorse," supporting BNM in bogland rewetting, sphagnum moss planting, and even functioning as a mobile energy source for battery-powered drones.

The project was completed over 13 months, including 9 months of design and engineering and 4 months of intensive build and testing.

The vehicle will be launched for the first time to the public in the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Arena, Stand 228, at the Ploughing Championships.

Mike Keane, Founder of Hibra Design, said: "This tractor project exemplifies our competencies at Hibra Design—engineering complex vehicles to meet the specific needs of our clients, while pushing the boundaries of clean technology in practical, high-performance applications."