Battery operated grain auger introduced at Ag in Motion

By Alice McFarlane

The outdoor farm show Ag in Motion is known for showcasing and introducing new innovations in the agricultural industry.

This year was no exception, with a prototype grain auger on display.

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AGI is working with the California Company on an auger that strictly works on battery power.

Kent Woods is AGI’s engineering manager.

“They’re one of the first e-augers in the U.S. to specialize in the smart components, including the analytics behind the display, the sensors, the cameras, and the safety aspect,” Woods said.

“It was shipped up here from California at the end of June. It’s been through the testing with corn. It’s a conceptual prototype.”

Farmers were very curious about the e-auger. Woods said the number one question is battery time and how long it’s going to last. He said that question will be part of what they will look at during testing this winter in -30 and -40 C weather.

“We have a couple of them in different areas where we test. We’re going to have a couple going in high temperatures, low temperatures, and try to get every market, every commodity,” he said.

But the the key part is the safety components and remote control.

“It has human detection, where if someone’s walking within the open end of the auger, it will shut down automatically. It allows us to get to that next level of technology in ag,” Woods said.

Woods said some have asked if that feature is necessary.

“Yes, we have gas and we have diesel (augers). E-auger has geomapping and GPS for mapping out where your bin yard is, where your power lines are, stuff like that,” he said.

“It just brings a different level of safety and that gets people excited for what’s the future holds.”

The e-auger could be on the market as early as 2026.