Spanish startup Voltrac has emerged from stealth with an autonomous tractor that lives a double life. 

In peacetime, the 3.5-tonne electric vehicle zips around farms, hauling heavy goods and using cameras to gather data on crop health. But when enlisted, the tractor is equally capable of navigating enemy assaults to deliver critical supplies to frontline soldiers.

“In Ukraine, for instance, many lives are lost in non-combat situations, including frontline resupply missions,” Voltrac’s cofounder and CTO, Francisco Infante Aguirre, told TNW in an interview. “That’s where we see a machine like ours making a difference: it’s built for tough terrain, and it doesn’t risk human life. It can do the same job whether it’s hauling crops or carrying ammo.” 

Voltrac’s machine has a carrying capacity of 4,000kg, a top speed of 40km/h and a range of up to 20 hours thanks to several large 200kW batteries stored in its body. Like an ebike, the tractor’s batteries are swappable — except these batteries are so heavy you’ll require a forklift to transport them. 

The tractor comes with the standard tow hitch where farmers would typically attach equipment like ploughs, mowers, or cutters. The machine can also be retrofitted with a giant flatbed that makes it capable of transporting a container full of supplies. That’s useful for both farms and frontlines. 

“Our tractor only needs tiny tweaks to its hardware to easily serve both agriculture and defence markets from the same platform,” said Infante, adding that the startup is in preliminary talks with NATO departments. For military purposes, those “tweaks” include the addition of anti-jamming tech and interceptor drones to protect it from enemy attack. The machine could also be used for removing and detecting mines.