STRADDLE CONCEPT TRACTOR WINS

New Holland’s Straddle Tractor Concept has won a gold medal at the German Design Awards 2023 in the category Excellent Product Design.

The German Design Award is awarded by the German Design Council, Germany's design and brand authority based in Frankfurt am Main. The jury members form a unique network of experts in innovations and design.

Revealed at SITEVI (salon international des équipements et savoir-faire pour les productions vignevin, olive et fruits-légumes) 2021, the Straddle Tractor Concept is a co-production of New Holland Agriculture and Pininfarina, the design house.

The concept has been developed in a video, that has been watched thousand of times on New Holland Agriculture channels from users all over the world: the idea was specifically designed to meet the requirements of the narrow vineyards.

These operations produce high-quality, high-value wines from grapes grown in rows less than one and a half meter wide, often on steep slopes and on small vineyards. In these conditions, grapes are picked by hand and most of the vine maintenance work is done by means of a tractor travelling overhead the rows.

The futuristic design developed by Pininfarina combines safety, comfort, and technology: it is inspired by the shape of a glass of Champagne - tall, wide at the top and tapering down at the bottom - as a homage to premium wine growers of regions such as Champagne, Médoc and Burgundy.

The cab is completely made by glass, providing the operator with visibility on the vines and all around and it is angled in the direction of travel, adding dynamism to the design.  The interior features a large single door and rotating seat, with use of wood contributing to the cab’s plush, luxurious feel, again reminding of wine barrels.

In keeping with New Holland Agriculture's commitment to all aspects of sustainable agriculture and the brand Clean Energy Leader strategy, the concept has been created as ready for the electric traction, for a future of alternative energies fuelled machines.