TVNZ Breakfast: A Tractor Hot Lap to Remember
Share
It’s not every day you see a tractor at a racetrack—but then again, this isn’t your average orchard. When we first rolled the Monarch MK-V electric tractor onto the orchard, we never imagined it would end up setting a lap time at Highlands Motorsport Park. But here we are, with our fully electric workhorse not just turning soil, but turning heads on the track and making it onto TVNZ’s Breakfast Show in the process.
The Monarch MK-V was the proud owner of an 8 minute and 24 second lap time around Highlands. No, it didn’t break any speed records, but it sure made for a brilliant showcase of just how far electric ag-tech has come. For us, the Monarch has replaced over 10,000 litres of diesel, saved us nearly $14,000 in fuel. It runs for just $2 an hour, powered entirely by the solar panels on our farm. The tractor made the 40km round trip from the orchard to the racetrack under its own power, driven by our orchard manager Euan White. And while we might not be challenging Liam Lawson just yet, we’re not ruling out a rematch.
Massive thanks to the crew at Highlands Motorsport Park for letting us have some fun and to TVNZ Breakfast for helping us tell the story. And Chris—if you're ever keen to take a spin, the driver’s seat is all yours.
Watch the Breakfast segment here: Watch now on Facebook