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                                   First Impression // John Deere 8R410 eAutoPowr
Hybrid
efficiency                                                                            SCTOOVREYR

In 2022, John Deere announced the introduction of the world’s
first electric infinitely variable transmission for its 8R tractors. FMJ went
to visit one of the first with eAutoPowr in action on a farm in West Sussex

WORDS AND IMAGES TERRY RICHARDSON

W  hen a product, concept or technology receives a                                    might have been a self-charging hybrid or even worse, a
   DLG innovation gold medal at Agritechnica, you                                     battery-based system that requires regular charging. But no,
   can be sure this will become a major development                                   I was wrong! It is in fact a diesel electric hybrid that comes
   for our industry, and one that is worth taking a                                   with a multitude of benefits, as we discovered.

   serious look at. John Deere’s new eAutoPowr                                        Transmission options

transmission received that DLG accolade in 2019 and was                               Until now, John Deere’s 8R transmission offerings have
                                                                                      included the 16 forward and five reverse speed full-
considered a major step forward in transmission technology and                        powershift, the e23 with 23 forward and 11 reverse speeds,
                                                                                      and AutoPowr a hydromechanical continuously variable
field efficiency.                                                                     transmission. Each of these transmissions can be
                                                                                      programmed by the operator to specific speed and load
Electrification in agriculture has been moving forward at a pace and this             settings according to implement and field conditions. For
                                                                                      now, the e23 and the eAutoPowr transmissions are the only
announcement by John Deere, for the unique eAutoPowr transmission in the 8R           choice for the 8R370 and 410 models.

Series tractors, looks to be a major leap forward in farming efficiency. This series     All these types of transmissions, including similar
                                                                                      iterations currently available from other brands, will use
includes the wheeled 8R, the twin-track 8RT and the four-track 8RX that are all

now available with the eAutoPowr transmission, albeit only on the 370 and 410

models at present. This new transmission design is essentially the replacement of

hydrostatics by electrics.

When I heard that this was an electric transmission, I was concerned that it

Operator Peter Rowland was                                                             “It is in fact a
sat in the height of luxury in                                                        diesel electric
the cab of this 8R410 with its
leather heated and                                                                       hybrid that
ventilated ActiveSeat II, with                                                        comes with a
a massage function!                                                                    multitude of

                                                                                            benefits”

                                                                                      SEPTEMBER 2024 WWW.FARMMACHINERYJOURNAL.CO.UK 7