E-kuliglig Electric Hand Tractor Design

Farmer steering the red E-kuliglig hand tractor through a field at sunset

E-kuliglig reimagines it with a fully electric powertrain. Going electric removes the toxic exhaust and drastically reduces the mechanical fatigue of a long day behind the handles.

An enclosed chassis protects the operator and shields the internals from harsh weather and mud, which reduces maintenance and extends the machine's lifespan.

electric motor, about 20 HP: 15 kW
lithium-ion batteries: 2 × 96 V
of continuous field work: 8–10 h
on the road per charge: 90 km

Ideation

The project started under the working name El Traktor, with a reference board that pulled from off-road vehicles, motorcycles, appliances and sneakers.

Sketches explored the body shell, the wheels and wheel guards, the handlebars and a control display, looking for a form that reads as one sealed machine instead of an engine bolted to a frame.

Ideation sketches of the electric tractor body, wheels, handlebars and control display on a teal block — Ideation sketches

The first build

The first version rolled on open steel cage wheels, the kind that grip in flooded rice paddies, under a black and maroon shell with a looped handlebar.

It was then built as a physical model: a wooden box frame, a body shell formed over it, and cage wheels cut and assembled by hand in the workshop.

Render of the first version with steel cage wheels and a black and maroon body — First version, cage wheels

Second angle of the first version render — Rear three-quarter

Wooden box frame for the tractor model on a workbench — Box frame

Formed body shell over the frame in the workshop — Forming the shell

Cage wheel being assembled by hand — Assembling a cage wheel

Finished physical model of the tractor with cage wheels in a hallway — The finished model

Electric drive

Inside the sealed body, a 15 kW electric motor delivers the equivalent of 20 HP, enough to work dense, wet soil and pull heavy agricultural loads.

Two 96 V lithium-ion batteries run it for 8 to 10 hours of continuous field work, or up to 90 km of travel on the road. A controller sets the motor speed, and every control sits on a panel at the handlebars.

Cutaway of the tractor showing the handlebar control panel, two 96 V batteries, the 15 kW motor and the controller

Control panelOn the handlebars: speed and drive modes, without letting go of the grip.
BatteriesTwo 96 V lithium-ion packs: 8–10 hours in the field or 90 km on the road.
E-motor15 kW, about 20 HP. Powerful enough for wet soil.
ControllerSets the speed of the motor.

Built for mud and rain

The enclosed chassis shields the drive from rain and mud and keeps the operator clear of moving parts. The control panel is weather-resistant and built into the handlebars, so speed and power change while both hands stay on the grips.

The rear hitch stays fully modular, so the tractor moves between standard plows, harrows and cultivators like the machines farmers already use.

Close-up render of the red and black sealed body — Sealed body

Close-up render of the rear body and frame — Rear body and frame

Close-up render of the handlebar control panel — Handlebar control panel

Drawn to size

A dimensioned front and side drawing fixed the proportions of the rubber-tire version: track width, tire size, and the length and angle of the handle. In the field, it swaps the cage wheels for deep-lug tires.

Dimensioned front and side drawing of the electric tractor, in millimetres — Front and side drawing, mm

E-kuliglig with rubber tires on a dirt path beside a rice field — In the field

E‑kuliglig Tractor