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| Solectrac, Inc. | |
| Industry | Agricultural |
| Founded | 2012 |
| Founder | Stephen Heckeroth |
| Headquarters | Santa Rosa, California |
| Website | solectrac.com |
Solectrac is an American tractor manufacturer based in Santa Rosa, California. It manufactures electric tractors for agricultural uses. The tractors are made as a zero-emission alternative to diesel tractors and can be charged by renewable energy, like wind and solar, and provide all the power of a comparable diesel tractor.[1]
The company was established in 2012 by Stephen Heckeroth. On the first Earth Day in 1970, Steve began his journey toward addressing the negative effects of burning fossil fuels.[2] Then in 1990, encouraged by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) Zero Emissions Mandate, he turned his attention to transportation.[3] He then began designing and building various types of electric vehicles and in 1992 founded MendoMotive and Electrac.[4][5]
In 1995, he was commissioned to build an experimental electric tractor for Ford and New Holland.[6][7] The following year, Heckeroth was commissioned by a Japanese company (EFRIG) to build an electric tractor to be used in the critical processes of removing land mines left behind after wars.[8]
In 2012 he founded Solectrac LLC to take small farm electric tractors into commercial production. In 2013 Solectrac received a $500,000 grant from the Indian US Science and Technology Fund (IUSSTF) to develop four all-electric tractor prototypes.[9]
Ideanomics has a 100% stake in the company following an investment in 2020.[10]