As we are in full swing of a technological evolution, every industry is trying to evolve and adapt to meet the needs and desires of consumers across the globe. John Deere and the agriculture landscape are no different. As renewable energy and battery-operated machinery has become an increasingly discussed topic, John Deere has taken notice. From acquisitions, product announcements, and internal investments; John Deere has been actively integrating new technology into a traditional, family valued brand.
With John Deere’s announcement of their first all-electric residential zero turn mower back in February of 2023, the global leader stated that they are expanding their portfolio of products that are designed for the future (John Deere, 2023). Eric Halfman, JD’s go-to-market manager of riding lawn equipment, was quoted saying “Everyone has different needs when it comes to their land, and we understand that one size doesn’t fit all when it comes to energy solutions. That’s why it is important for us to provide our customers with a broad range of mower options without compromising performance from gas machines.”
Some avid John Deere customers are skeptical that this means that JD is moving away from traditional combustion produced equipment; This is simply untrue. John Deere is leaving the choice up to the consumer. The addition of electrically powered equipment is just another option for customers to choose from. Imbedded in John Deere’s online article “Electric Equipment: Helping Our Customers Overcome Their Biggest Challenges,” JD emphasizes that these are just increasing options for consumers and the piece of equipment they chose is based on their individual preference. John Deere stays committed to ensuring that each customer has a variety of options to choose from that will best suit their needs.
As the market has a significantly increased interest into battery operated equipment, John Deere has announced a 115,000-square-foot manufacturing facility located in Kernersville, North Carolina. This announcement came on August 14th, 2023, after John Deere acquired majority ownership of Kreisel Electric last year. Presented in the article “John Deere, Kreisel To Build Batteries and Chargers in Kernersville, North Carolina;” Senior Vice President of John Deere Power Systems and Chairman of Kreisel stated “As the demand for electric solutions continues to increase, this strategic investment in growing our production capacity will help strengthen our position as an international battery technology leader. Within the evolving off-highway equipment market, we are prioritizing the development of a robust charging ecosystem and battery portfolio that can support and sustain the long-term adoption of electrification across a wide variety of applications.” 
Discussed by many John Deere representatives throughout this blog post, the company does not look to change its current product line but further it and evolve to the changing times. Deere has always been a global leader in the delivery and development of agricultural, turf, construction and forestry equipment. With the induction of these emerging technologies, it further proves that John Deere is a leader who always looks to leap forward with breakthrough advancements. With that being said, we here at West Central Equipment look forward to the future of the company and are excited to provide these developing pieces for our community.
It’s the West Central Way!
Written By: Trevor Cratty
West Central Equipment
Citations
“Electric Equipment: Helping Our Customers Overcome Their Biggest Challenges” John Deere, 28, November 2022, https://www.deere.com/en/stories/featured/electric-equipment/
“John Deere, Kreisel to Build Batteries, Chargers in Kernersville, NC” John Deere, 14, August 2023, https://www.deere.com/en/news/all-news/deere-kreisel-batteries-north-carolina/
“Promoting an Electric Tomorrow, John Deere Launches First All-Electric Residential Zero Turn Mower” John Deere, 7, February 2023, https://www.deere.com/en/news/all-news/all-electric-zero-turn-mower/
