Autonomous tractor · head to head
9RX Autonomy (2nd-gen kit) vs Combined Powers VTE
Two autonomous tractor machines, one verified table. Every figure below is sourced and dated; vendor claims are labelled and kept apart from independent results.
John Deere · United States
Second-generation autonomy kit on the four-track 9RX — 16-camera, 360° driverless tillage, full US launch in 2026.
Best for: Very large US broadacre operations on the JD platform wanting driverless primary tillage at high horsepower.LEMKEN & KRONE · Germany
Cabless 230 hp diesel-electric autonomous process unit from LEMKEN and KRONE — tillage, sowing and forage work, now in on-farm trials across Germany and neighbouring countries.
Best for: European arable and forage operations tracking a home-grown high-horsepower autonomy platform before it ships.| 9RX Autonomy (2nd-gen kit) Verified 2026-07-16 | Combined Powers VTE Verified 2026-07-16 | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Task | Autonomous tractor | Autonomous tractor |
| Autonomy | Fully autonomous | Fully autonomous |
| Country of origin | United States | Germany |
| Availability | Available now | Pilot / limited |
| EU market | Pending | Pending |
| Lead time | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Last verified | 2026-07-16 | 2026-07-16 |
| Specifications | ||
| Power source | Diesel; 9RX 640–830 hp models | Diesel-electric, 170 kW / 230 hp |
| Required tractor power | Is the tractor (up to 830 hp) | Is the vehicle (230 hp, no operator station) |
| Dimensions | Standard 9RX four-track chassis | Not disclosed |
| Weight | Not disclosed for autonomy configuration | Not disclosed |
| Min farm size | 500 ha | 100 ha |
| Productivity | Field-dependent; 24 h duty capable; faster and wider than gen-1 kit | Runs KRONE mowing combinations and LEMKEN stubble-cultivation/sowing implements |
| Max speed | Field-work speeds; road transport driven manually | Not disclosed |
| Sensors | 16 cameras in pods · 360° vision · improved long-range depth calculation | Intelligent implement/process monitoring · safety-approved robotic vehicle OS in development (Apex.AI partnership) |
| Price & model | ||
| Price (EUR) | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Native price | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Business model | Kit purchase on owned/leased 9RX; licensing/subscription terms not publicly disclosed | Not yet on sale — pre-series trials on commercial farms |
| Ongoing cost | Not disclosed | Not disclosed |
| Key outcome | ||
| Best verified result | Operator supervision Remote supervision via Operations Center Mobile · vendor | Onboard operator No operator station — fully autonomous process unit · vendor |
| EU context | ||
| CE marking | Not filed for EU autonomous operation | Not yet CE marked as a series product |
| Machinery Regulation | No EU approval — John Deere states EU safety rules currently prevent autonomous-tractor launch | Designed for EU market; conformity under Regulation (EU) 2023/1230 pending series launch |
| CAP subsidy | Not applicable — not purchasable in the EU | Not applicable until commercially available |
"—" means the manufacturer has not disclosed the figure; we never estimate silently. Model either machine's payback with your own numbers on its ROI calculator page.