This Hydrogen-Powered, Self-Driving Tractor Is A Peek Into The Future Of Farming

Hydrogen fuel cell technology has plenty of potential as a green source of energy, but it's yet to find a way into the mainstream. There are only a handful of hydrogen-powered cars on sale today, and thanks to the very limited refueling network, they're only feasible to drive in California. Even if hydrogen as a means of fueling cars never catches on with a wider audience, it's still being evaluated as a useful alternative to battery EVs for various other types of heavy machinery. Some mining trucks can already run on hydrogen, and Kubota recently premiered a concept tractor that's designed to run on hydrogen too.

Unveiled at the Expo 2025 Osaka Kansai, the tractor concept uses hydrogen fuel cells and is capable of both driving autonomously and being controlled remotely. Kubota hopes that the tractor previews a future of farming where worker shortages in Japan's agricultural industry are alleviated by autonomous machinery, and tractors no longer produce harmful emissions. Water is the only emission that the tractor concept produces during its operation.

Kubota says that it aims to further develop the tractor design to suit the needs of farmers, as well as conduct demonstration tests to prove the concept's autonomous driving capabilities. It also noted that it needs to consider how farmers will be able to access hydrogen fuel. Japan has already installed over 150 hydrogen refueling stations across the country, but increased access to the fuel in rural areas would be needed to make the commercial adoption of hydrogen-powered tractors viable.

Battery EVs, which feature large, heavy battery packs and source power through the electric charging network, have become the most widely adopted form of zero-emissions technology for passenger cars. However, they are of limited usefulness in heavy machinery due to their weight and long charging times. Kubota says that its hydrogen tractor concept is capable of producing consistent high output and working long operating hours, with the latter only being possible because refueling with hydrogen is far quicker than recharging using an electric charger, albeit not quite as fast as refueling using a traditional diesel pump.

Although Kubota is bullish on both hydrogen as a fuel and autonomous driving technology, farmers shouldn't expect to see the tractor for sale anytime soon. The concept will serve as a test bed for further evaluation, but Kubota has not yet announced plans to incorporate either hydrogen or self-driving into a production model. Until then, Kubota and every other major tractor brand continue to rely on diesel engines as their primary means of power.