A starting price of €190,000, without attachments, is what Dutch farmers will pay for the Rigitrac SKE 40 Electric, the Swiss-built tractor that importer Hissink of Oeken, Gelderland, is now bringing to the Dutch market. The machine, first announced in 2020, is in series production and one unit is already working in the Netherlands.

The SKE 40 stands apart from most electric tractors on the market for one reason: Rigitrac designed it as an electric machine from the ground up rather than converting an existing diesel model. That design choice, according to Hissink, is the key to the tractor's claimed working window of 4 to 6 hours per battery charge — even when pulling a mower or other implement.

Why does the driveline matter?

Hissink points to the driveline as the main difference. Converted electric tractors typically keep the transmission parts and hydraulic components of the diesel machine they were built from. Every retained gearbox stage, shaft and pump introduces friction and energy loss, which eats into battery range.

Rigitrac threw that approach away. The company started with a completely new design for the SKE 40. The manufacturer did retain mechanical axles: an electric motor transfers drive to the front and rear axle through a distribution mechanism. The result is a simplified power path with fewer losses between battery and wheel.

The tractor offers two driving ranges — one up to 25 km/h and one up to 40 km/h.

How does it cut hydraulic losses?

The hydraulics get their own dedicated electric motor, and the pump runs only when hydraulic power is actually needed. On a conventional tractor, and on many conversions, the hydraulic pump turns continuously regardless of demand. Hissink says limiting those standby losses is central to reaching the stated 4 to 6 hours of operating time.

The PTO shafts follow the same logic. Electric motors drive them separately, so PTO power draws only what the implement requires rather than dragging on the driveline the whole time.

What does it cost and when can you see one?

The SKE 40 Electric is now in series production. Hissink reports that one unit is currently operating in the Netherlands. The tractor can be ordered without attachments at a starting price of €190,000, and interested farmers can request a demonstration directly from the importer in Oeken.

For growers weighing an electric machine, the SKE 40's case rests on efficiency per kilowatt-hour rather than raw battery capacity. If the 4 to 6 hour claim holds up in Dutch mowing and loader work, the purpose-built driveline approach could set the benchmark other electric tractor makers have to match. Farmers considering a switch should watch how the first Dutch unit performs through a full season — and whether Hissink publishes real-world runtime figures with a mower on the back.