Daedong (000490.KS) said on the 15th that its project to develop a multipurpose artificial intelligence-powered electric tractor has been selected as a signature project under K-GX, South Korea's green transformation initiative.
K-GX is a national strategy designed to achieve carbon neutrality and sustainable economic growth at the same time, with the government committing a total of 1,000 trillion won in funding over the next 10 years. Daedong is taking part in the farm machinery electrification segment of the "new growth engine K-GX" program, where it will develop and supply agricultural equipment that combines AI-based autonomous driving with electrification technology.
Drawing on the AI autonomous driving and electrification technologies it has built up, Daedong will develop a 55-kilowatt multipurpose electric tractor, equivalent to about 74 horsepower. The company plans to advance core technologies by 2027 so the machine can autonomously handle tilling and crop protection work in varied farming environments such as orchards, then build production infrastructure and conduct field demonstrations in South Korea and abroad before commercializing the tractor in 2030.
The 55-kilowatt electric tractor will use a battery pack capable of four to five hours of operation, paired with an electric drivetrain combining a single motor and a continuously variable transmission (CVT). Daedong aims to improve energy efficiency and operating stability through a thermal management system that integrates control of the battery, motor and inverter, and a vehicle control unit (VCU) that integrates control of power, drive and implements.
The company is also automating production facilities for mass production of the electric tractor. By 2030, it plans to establish an automated production and quality control system by adopting autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), painting and work robots, fast charging and AI vision inspection systems.
Daedong said it intends to cut carbon emissions in agriculture through wider use of electric tractors while addressing an aging rural population and labor shortages with autonomous farming technology and precision agriculture solutions. The company is also preparing ways to optimize energy and agricultural input use by drawing on farm operation data.
"Daedong has been building the technological foundation needed for autonomous and electric farming," Daedong Chief Executive Won Yu-hyun said. "Using this K-GX project as a springboard, we will expand investment across technology development, manufacturing and commercialization to lead the eco-friendly transition of domestic agriculture and create new growth opportunities in the global market for AI-powered electric farm machinery."