Engineers at CNH Industrial are continuing to explore alternatives to diesel by developing a fuel cell electric power unit being trialled in a prototype Steyr tractor.

CNH is already well advanced in the engineering and commercialisation of alternative power sources, first with two models of methane gas-fuelled T6 and T7 series New Holland tractors, and more recently with a 75hp battery-electric tractor now on sale in North America in both Case IH and New Holland colours.

See also: JCB’s hydrogen-fuelled combustion engine examined

The Case IH operation at St Valentin in Austria, which also produces tractors under the Steyr brand for selected markets, is getting in on the alternative fuels act by building a hydrogen fuel cell electric tractor with around 127hp.

It is part of a national project funded by Austria’s research promotion agency and was developed in collaboration with powertrain and automotive experts at the Vienna University of Technology.

Steyr FCTrac

The FCTrac is based on a Steyr 4140 Expert CVT – equivalent to a Case IH Vestrum CVXDrive or New Holland T5 AutoCommand – with the diesel engine replaced by an electricity-generating hydrogen fuel cell.

Drawing on hydrogen gas stored in tanks installed for prototype convenience on the roof, the fuel cell continually charges a 14kWh high-voltage battery for the 400V electrical system.

The project has also designed a “green” hydrogen production unit – the BioH2Module – that consumes 15-16kg of dry biomass to produce hydrogen equivalent to around 3.5 litres of diesel.

Both developments reflect growing research into fuel cell potential for agricultural tractors; Agco, for example, has two Fendt tractors undertaking farm work as part of Germany’s H2Agrar project, and earlier this year, Kubota revealed a horticultural compact tractor with prototype hydrogen fuel cell power.