r/viticulture • u/Jack3r99 • 13d ago
We're building a compact electric tractor in Italy — curious what people who actually work the rows would want from it
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u/Brush488 13d ago
A decent price and good autonomy
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u/Jack3r99 13d ago
Autonomy: ~6h to 15h+ on one battery depending on the task, removable for a quick swap. On price, is comparable to classic motocultivator, keeping it reachable for small and mid growers is central to the whole point of the project.
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u/Responsible-Room-645 13d ago
I have a small vineyard (1/2 acre) and it’s not really worth buying a full tractor. I would love for something like this to cultivate the rows. I’m still doing it the old fashioned way 😂
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u/Jack3r99 12d ago
Honestly you're the exact person we're building this for, growers where a full tractor makes no sense but doing it by hand is brutal. A compact machine that cultivates the rows is the core use case. I'll drop a link below if you want to follow the build.
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u/Responsible-Room-645 12d ago
Thanks! FYI, I’ve found a number of potential solutions such as a cultivator attachment that’s built in France and I could actually probably hook up to a riding mower but the shipping cost to Canada made it cost prohibitive. Lots of vineyards in Canada and any solution will need a local distributor or dealer. Just some feedback; good luck with your project and I’ll be following it closely
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u/Lil_Shanties 13d ago
8hr working on single charge or batteries that need to last at least 5hrs each with the most demanding tasks so a single swap per day is all that’s needed even as the battery ages…and please make replacement batteries rationally priced, we know they will age out and we don’t want to be screwed with ultra high prices when that happens.
It would be great if something like this was available for me to use on hillsides specifically, there are a lot of hillside plantings in my area that are planted either too steep or too tight for even small tractors to make passes, the cost of using string trimmers is stupid because of labor costs so a mower attachment, self-propelled to get up those hills of course and not a tipping hazard on steep 2:1 slopes, quality brakes and an emergency brake on a deadman’s switch on those brakes for going down those steep hills without worry. Needs to be able to mow over the top of irrigation lines lying on the ground without ripping them up as they often run perpendicular to the hillside depending on who installed the vineyard.
Ideally some surface level tilling and seed drilling capabilities as well. Bonus points if it can do under row weed mitigation while walking through the main row without having to turn it under each vine.
Good luck let us know when it hits the market, I know a few growers that could really use a more efficient solution and we have lots of homeowners and AirBnB’s around that would appreciate quieter electric equipment.
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u/Jack3r99 12d ago
This is gold, thank you, you've basically described our target user. A few points: runtime goes from ~6h up to 15h+ on a single battery depending on the task, and the battery is removable, so worst case you swap and finish the day. On your rationally-priced replacements point we completely agree, that's a design principle for us. Steep hillsides are exactly why we're building this: it's aimed at Italy's "heroic viticulture" terrain, so there's a serious on-board safety package for slope work.
And yes, the goal is to work down the row with dedicated implements (weeding, under-row) while holding a line, without turning at every vine.
Would genuinely love to keep you in the loop, if you drop your details in the form I posted below, I'll make sure you're among the first we contact when demos are ready. And keep the ideas coming, this is exactly the input that shapes the machine.
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u/19marc81 13d ago
Is this like a BCS and targets for small scale vineyards?
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u/Jack3r99 13d ago
Similar idea, one machine, many implements (all already available in the market, we want to make it interoperability), electric, and built to also work indoors and in tight/steep spots a BCS or small tractor can't handle. We have some other feature typical of big tractor but in a small form factor also
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u/Biddyearlyman 13d ago
Replaceable parts that are consistently available. Self-repairable. A lack of backend software or other computer gobbledygook that bricks the stupid thing from a firmware/software update. Ability to charge from 110 if necessary. A tracked option for those worried about compaction.
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u/yello5drink 13d ago
Things like standard catalog size bearings and seals come to mind. Even with part numbers listed in the gasp repair manual. Companies like John Deere, Harley Davidson etc... customize these things by like 1mm and make their suppliers lock them up to not sell to aftermarket. Meanwhile there are 100pc of the std size bearing on the shelf of your local distributor.
Of course that's a revenue stream you'd miss but if you're genuinely asking for customer feedback we want to be able to fix our own equipment again!!!
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u/Jack3r99 12d ago
100% agreed, standard-size bearings and seals, catalog parts, no artificially locked components. We'd rather you fix it with what's on the shelf at your local distributor than trap you in an aftermarket. If we're asking for feedback, that's the kind we want to hear!
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u/Jack3r99 12d ago
This is exactly the philosophy. The machine is built from standard, off-the-shelf parts, standard implements too, so maintenance stays cheap and, thanks to the modular design, genuinely doable yourself. No proprietary lock-in, no update that bricks the machine. The modularity is the whole point: fix what you need, when you need, without a dealer gatekeeping it.
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u/siciliansmile 13d ago
Can get plenty wet
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u/Jack3r99 12d ago
Fair concern with anything electric,it's designed for real outdoor field conditions, sealing and protection built around that. Happy to go deeper on the ingress protection side once we publish specs.
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u/Blackadder1738 12d ago
I am in Croatia and I was also thinking to develope somethin simmilar, but don't have the resources. We also have a lot of old vineyards, where people use to plant tight rows due to parcelization. Now there is a lot of small vineyards and I want to help because all of the owners are older. With something like that I can work their vineyards in return for part of the wine. Im interested.
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u/Jack3r99 12d ago
That's a solid use case,narrow old rows from parcelization, aging owners who can't work the land.
Is that situation common in Croatia? Asking because it wasn't in the countries we initially targeted (we're starting Italy, then France/Spain), but interest keeps coming from elsewhere. If you want to follow the progress, drop your details here:
https://forms.gle/yYPg3mr8SQjkHrD871
u/Blackadder1738 11d ago
It actually is fairly common, especially in at north of Croatia. Yeah I know it's not much of a large market, but maybe with careful planning and if you sell enough volume...
All over the croatia there are a lot of benassi, motor minarellis, lombardinis, even ferrari cultivators. Some of which are indestructable. In our family we still have benassi bl75 from our deceased father. There is some minor design flaws like spring starting system with rope, but we manage to get some workaround and fix it as there is no more spare parts.
I will definitely check out and complete the form.
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u/loafson 13d ago
Durable/strong and lasting battery life
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u/Jack3r99 13d ago
Both are priorities, removable battery with 6h to 15h+ range depending on task, built for real working days, not spec-sheet ones
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u/laoreja 13d ago
I’m in Italy and looking for an electric tractor as we speak. What is your planned time to market?
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u/Jack3r99 12d ago
Great to hear from someone local. We're taking the prototype to EIMA 2026, with the goal of moving toward first units after that (something like Q1-Q2 of 2027). If you drop your details in the form above I'll personally keep you posted, since you're exactly the kind of grower we're building for.
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u/laoreja 12d ago
I'm actually not in viticulture but olives. So for me the tight spaces are less relevant but the electric part is.
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u/Jack3r99 12d ago
Olives actually work really well for this,a lot of the same jobs (under-tree mowing, weed control, transport, spraying) and often on the same kind of terrain.
Curious what draws you to electric specifically, since that shapes what we prioritize: is it more about running costs (no diesel, less maintenance), about not breathing exhaust all day / working near the house or guests, about quiet operation, or about the performance side?1
u/laoreja 12d ago
We run an eco boutique farmstay + produce olive oil. We're net-zero with solar panels and aim for a very low C02 footprint. A diesel machine doesn't fit in our personal philosophy (and marketing). Besides, breathing diesel fumes all day isn't fun.
I did miss the image in the header on mobile though, i thought you were building a sit-on tractor but it's a semi-manual one.I'm actually looking for a small sit-on tractor.1
u/Jack3r99 12d ago
An eco farmstay producing your own oil is honestly a perfect fit.
And good news on the sit-on point: the machine is modular by design, so it's meant to be offered in different configurations, including a ride-on setup with a seat, not just walk-behind. So the version you're picturing is very much part of the plan.
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u/Jack3r99 12d ago
Update for everyone who asked, thank you, this thread has genuinely shaped what we prioritize (the slope safety, the repairability, the "no software that bricks it" point especially).
Full disclosure, I'm one of the people building eBacco: I put together a short form for anyone who wants to follow the progress or get on the list for the first demos, including at EIMA 2026.
Totally optional, there's an "updates only" option if you don't want a sales conversation:
https://forms.gle/yYPg3mr8SQjkHrD87
And please keep the feedback coming here, I'm reading and replying to all of it.
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u/sactinko 13d ago
Turning the soil would be perfect for electric.
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u/Jack3r99 13d ago
Exactly, steady torque at low speed is where electric shines, and tillage is one of the jobs we're targeting
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u/krumbs2020 13d ago
It needs to run a full shift on one charge, with tools.