About — Vintage to Electric Tractor (UCD Student Farm)
Winter 2020 - D-Lab I
The UC Davis Student Experimental Farm supports student exploration by creating a space and opportunity for students to learn about sustainable agriculture and food systems. Their team emphasizes in-field experiential learning through their volunteers, interns, and student workers. Tractor driving is one of the most popular opportunities the Student Farm offers. Students get to use the tractors to cultivate crops on the farm after undergoing a tractor training course.
The goal was to improve the learning experience and occupational health of students working on the farm, the Student Experimental Farm would like to convert a gasoline tractor into an electric motor tractor. The team of bio-based engineers worked with UC Davis Student Experimental Farm to convert a 1950’s Allis Chalmers Model G gasoline tractor into a rechargeable electric tractor. The tractor will be used as a teaching tool for students and will require the following components: hydraulic system, three-point hitch, cultivator, and rollover protection system. The 15-20 hp tractor needs to last 4 hours per charge. The tractor also needs to meet OSHA (Occupational Safety & Health Administration) standards to ensure proper design and safety for the users.