Effective power and energy utilization analysis of a dual-motor electric tractor under battery current limitations

This study evaluated the effective power and energy utilization characteristics of a dual-motor electric tractor under simultaneous power take-off (PTO) and traction operating conditions. Experimental measurements were conducted using Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Code 2 PTO and drawbar traction tests to characterize the performance of the tractor and its electrical power system. Effective power was defined as the combined usable output of the PTO and traction systems while considering allowable battery current limitations. Battery current, energy consumption, energy ratio, and operating duration were analyzed to investigate the energy utilization characteristics of the tractor. The results showed that the independently measured maximum PTO and traction powers were 50.8 kW and 35.1 kW, respectively; however, their simultaneous operation required a battery current exceeding the allowable system limit. Under rated operating conditions with an allowable current limit of 100 A, the achievable effective power was 37.4 kW. Depending on the operating condition, the achievable combined output ranged from 15.0 to 37.4 kW, while energy consumption ranged from 43.8 to 69.9 kWh/h and the energy ratio ranged from 1.87 to 2.93. The findings indicate that the usable output of dual-motor electric tractors is strongly influenced by battery current constraints and load allocation between PTO and traction systems. The proposed framework provides a practical approach for evaluating realizable system-level performance using existing OECD Code 2 test data and offers useful insights for electrified tractor evaluation and power management.