Centre releases parameters for electric agri tractors’ safety, reliability

Union Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi has released the 'Electric Agricultural Tractors — Test Code', developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), to ensure the safety, reliability, and performance of electric agricultural tractors through uniform and standardised testing proto-cols across the country, as per an official statement issued on Sunday.

IS 19262:2025 ‘Electric Agricultural Tractors — Test Code’ establishes a common understanding among all stakeholders with respect to uniform terminology, general guidelines, and tests to be carried out on electric agricultural tractors, including testing PTO power, drawbar power, and the performance of belts and pulleys, etc. It also covers vibration measurement, specification verifica-tion, and inspection of various components and assemblies of electric agricultural tractors, ac-cording to the statement.

The standard draws technical assistance from IS 5994: 2022 ‘Agricultural tractors — Test code’, and relevant Automotive Industry Standards developed for electric vehicles, suitably adapted for agricultural applications. The implementation of IS 19262: 2025 through authorised testing insti-tutes would facilitate wider adoption of electric agricultural tractors in the country, promote in-novation in clean agricultural technologies, and contribute to reduced emissions and sustainable agricultural mechanisation.

The test data generated using the procedures prescribed in IS 19262: 2025 is expected to provide a scientific basis for evaluating performance and safety characteristics of electric agricultural trac-tors. Such data would also assist in the future development of acceptance criteria and conformity assessment schemes specific to electric tractors. By prescribing structured and uniform testing procedures, the standard aims to support manufacturers in delivering reliable and safe products, while giving farmers and consumers greater confidence in the performance and capabilities of electric agricultural tractors, the statement explained.

Electric agricultural tractors represent an emerging and important segment in India’s farm mecha-nisation ecosystem. These tractors use electric motor(s) powered by battery packs, instead of conventional diesel engines, for propulsion and other agricultural operations.