The die is cast. The Californian Monarch Tractor, a pioneer in self-driving electric tractors, wants to conquer the European market from Belgium and has founded Monarch Tractor Europe NV, based in Antwerp, Belgium.
Monarch Tractor is famous for its ‘smart’ tractors. The brand produces the world’s first fully electric tractor, for which the driver is optional.
Tests in vineyards and orchards
The Monarch MK-V, as the vehicle is called, can drive and perform tasks autonomously thanks to eight cameras, precise GPS infrastructure, and robotics. The vehicle can perform pre-programmed tasks, collect harvesting data, and analyze sensor data and video images.
The MK-V first came to Europe in the autumn of 2023. Among other events, it was presented at Agritechnica in Hanover and completed a tour with exhibitions, demonstrations, and tests in vineyards and orchards.
Headquarters in Antwerp
So far, sales have focussed on the USA and Canada, “but the expansion to Europe is a logical next step with planned local manufacturing, an R&D hub, a digital center of excellence, and its EU headquarters in Flanders, Belgium,” says CEO Praveen Penmetsa.
The European team will be led by Stéphane Jacobs, who, as Managing Director of Europe, will oversee a leadership team responsible for developing and implementing European market entry, growth, and strategy.
“This milestone reflects our long-term engagement to serve the European market with a portfolio of solutions fulfilling the requirements of European farmers,” says Stéphane Jacobs.
Ecosystem
Monarch Tractor sees itself not only as a tractor manufacturer but also as an ecosystem. By the end of the 2024 growing season, Monarch’s MK-Vs had amassed nearly 67,000 hours of usage, saving farmers almost $1 million in fuel costs and abating more than 2,000 tons of CO2e.
The new European headquarters will be situated in or near the NextGen District in the port of Antwerp. This business park on the site of the former Opel Antwerp car factory focuses mainly on ‘green’ and innovative companies.
In mid-2024, the Belgian family-owned retail group Colruyt experimented with a self-driving Monarch MK-V in the Wolfcarius apple nursery in Gottem, near Deinze (Belgium). The vehicle mowed, sprayed, and transported fruit in the orchard. The tests were conducted on private territory because Europe does not yet have a good legal framework.
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