Going ELECTRIC

摘要

Randy Brooks can suggest a host of reasons why a grower might want to switch to electric tractors, with reliability being top of the list. The high price of fuel, concerns about greenhouse gas emissions, and worries about dependence on oil are generating an incredible amount of interest in electric vehicles in general, says Brooks, who runs Brooks Solar, Inc., in Chelan, Washington. "But I think one of the things that people overlook about electric vehicles is the reliability," he said. "There's no maintenance at all." Brooks is a member of Advanced Vehicle Innovations, a group of enthusiasts who are promoting the use of electrically powered and hybrid (electric and biofuel) vehicles in north central Washington. Last year, he headed a team of AVI members who converted an old Allis-Chalmers G cultivating tractor to electric for Rachel Airmet, who farms with Guy Evans at Sunshine Organics in Chelan.