World’s first autonomous, hydrogen farm tractor debuts in Kubota orange [video]

Japanese equipment giant Kubota has pulled the wraps off a world’s first. The new, Autonomous Fuel Cell Tractor packs electric drive motors powered by a hydrogen fuel cell — one that can get topped off with hydrogen made from farm waste!

As longtime Electrek readers already know: I’m no fan of hydrogen as a transport fuel, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work in other applications — and one of those is certainly large-scale farming. In that context, Kubota’s latest announcement feels like a natural sequel to the company’s broader push into electrification and intelligent farming tools.

At CES 2025 for example, Kubota showed off a suite of connected, ADAS-equipped commercial machinery with electric drive, including an “Agri Concept” robotic farm tractor and a hydrogen fuel cell-powered genset, intentionally signaling the brand’s transition from an equipment manufacturer to a more holistic (and marketing-driven) “agricultural solution partner.”

Kubota equipment | CES 2025

The company has high hopes for its electric farm equipment, as Japan (like other Western nations) is struggling to attract young people into farming, leading to a continually aging and shrinking workforce and ongoing labor shortage.

Advertisement – scroll for more content

“The concept behind this model is to simultaneously achieve environmental sustainability, operational efficiency, and labor saving,” reads the official press copy. “Since only water is discharged during operation, it is environmentally friendly, and is also designed for operation without operators onboard via autonomous driving and remote control.”

You’ve heard all that before. What may be new to you is the notion that hydrogen can be produced locally, by many kinds of farmers, using existing farm inputs that convert biowaste into methane, then reform or electrolyze it into hydrogen. That circular model gives farmers in areas with limited grid access (or a desire to stay off the grid, for their own reasons) a viable way to generate and store energy.

Energy that, unlike the electricity from solar panels, can power modified reciprocating engines like Cummins’ (relatively) new X15 diesel or a number of Volvo Penta engines.

Electrek’s Take

Do any research at all into farming and agriculture as-a-whole and you’ll be shocked by the age of farmers and the age of their equipment, too. The industry is packed with combustion engines, people fearful of big corporations taking their data, and of big governments cutting off their fuel supplies (however ironic that may be). To them, and to the heavy machines that are already too big and heavy to work in rain and mud in some cases, a relatively lightweight, on-site energy solution might be a welcome thing.

You know, until they remember that the sun exists, anyway.

SOURCE | IMAGES: Kubota.

If you’re considering going solar, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. It has hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high-quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it’s free to use, and you won’t get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them. 

Your personalized solar quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here.