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An agricultural machinery manufacturer previously unknown in Europe has developed its first 400 hp tractor with hybrid drive. The brand is backed by a huge corporation from Asia. Will Fendt and John Deere have to prepare for competition?
Agricultural machinery groups such as John Deere and AGCO are known in Europe for their strong brands. So far, only a few farmers and contractors are familiar with the Chinese company Zoomlion. But that could change in the next few years.
The state-owned company is not only one of the world's largest machine manufacturers, but has now unveiled its first tractor with 400 hp. The special feature: The large tractor works with a hybrid drive. We explain the details.
Chinese XXL tractor Zoomlion with 400 hp
Some farmers are familiar with the Chinese brand Zoomlion from Agritechca 2015, when the agricultural machinery brand was represented as an exhibitor and showed a standard tractor with 160 hp and a Deutz engine (tractors from China for the European market).
In addition to cranes, excavators and concrete pumps, Zoomlion also builds tractors, balers, combine harvesters for rice and grain and other agricultural machinery in its agricultural division.
Hybrid tractor: few details known so far
According to the company, Zoomlion's first hybrid tractor rolled out of the production plant in Kaifeng in Henan province in eastern China at the beginning of the year. The Zoomlion DV4004 is a standard tractor with 400 hp. So far, however, there is little technical data on the tractor.
Engine and generator: Will the tractor be diesel-electric?
The hybrid tractor is partly directly driven, but also has several motors installed, probably electric motors for auxiliary drives. Even though Zoomlion does not provide any further information about the drive, the tractor presumably works with a diesel engine and a generator. No details are known about the exhaust emission standard achieved.
Large Chinese tractor with large cab
Photos show the tractor with tires from Trelleborg. It is said to achieve a tractive force of the equivalent of 14.5 tons and be able to travel at a speed of 12 km/h "under heavy load". According to Zoomlion, the tractor consumes 23.25 l/ha of diesel, which is 8 percent less than a comparable tractor in this power range. The four-post cab looks very large. There is no information on whether the tractor will also be marketed in Europe in the future.
Tractors and agricultural machinery from China: Who is Zoomlion?
Zoomlion is one of the largest manufacturers of construction machinery and generated a turnover of around 15 billion US dollars last year. Around a third of this total turnover was generated in the agricultural machinery sector. In 2020, the Group acquired the traditional brand Rabe Agrartechnik from Bad Essen (Almost forgotten agricultural machinery manufacturer surprises with new cultivator). Around 26,000 employees work for the Group worldwide.
