This is an interesting video because we get to see something that we surely did not know existed. In 1958 Allis-Chalmers developed a fuel cell powered tractor. While fuel cell technology has existed for a long, long time we did not know that they had experimented with it in this form, let alone actually building a functional prototype that could pull a plow and actually looked close to a production example. The machine is not that ungainly looking, it had a 20hp electric motor which would have just about matched (horsepower wise) what the gas and diesels were doing in that era but would have crushed them on torque.

In the video we see the small fuel cell in a lab that demonstrates the principle and then we see the actual tractor in use out in the field. The working prototype has 1,000 cells all working together to provide the necessary power to move the tractor. Propane is used as the fuels for the cells and the announcer guy talks about how the cells can use about 90% of the energy that the propane has it in as opposed to diesel engines that are only about 40% efficient.

Maybe we’re just dumb and did not realize that this type of experimentation was going on in the 1950s but we think it is pretty neat. As funny as it sounds, the engineering, design, and manufacture of tractors is a pretty important industry for any developed country. Not only does it help to raise the food supply more efficiently but there are significant defense advancements that have been made by companies that make tractors. Sounds insane but it is true.

Press play below to see this video that profiles the Allis-Chalmbers fuel cell tractor