Kubota Moves to Expand Large Tractor Business in North America with Rollout of High-Power Models
July 31, 2019
Kubota Corporation (Headquarters: Naniwa-ku, Osaka, Japan; President and Representative Director: Masatoshi Kimata; hereinafter referred to as “Kubota”) today announced its plan to launch a new series of tractors featuring high-horsepower models that will be the largest in its tractor lineup. The launch will accelerate Kubota’s business in the North American large tractor market.
Kubota will be entrusting the development and manufacture of these large tractors to custom OEM provider Buhler Industries Inc. (Headquarters: Canada; hereinafter referred to as “Buhler”), with which it recently entered into a strategic partnership.
1. Outline
1. Product Series Name:
M8 Series
2. Launch Date:
Planned to go on sale in North America for the spring season 2020
3. Models:
Two models – 190 and 210 horsepower
4. Key Features:
The new series will inherit the features of the M7 Series (130-170 horsepower) that was launched in 2015, but with higher horsepower enabling an expanded range of uses and responsiveness to the needs of more customers.
- Operability
The upsizing of agricultural machinery is making for increasingly complex operations, including control of high-performance machinery and management of apparatus for precision farming. This new series seeks to enhance “usability” and “simplicity,” inheriting Kubota’s unique console with integrated armrest and touchscreen monitor from the M7 Tractor Series. - Comfort for sustained operation
With a wide cabin offering 360-degree visibility and a wide range of seat adjustments to match each operator’s personal preferences, the M8 Series ensures stress-free operation even for long operating times. - High-powered engine
The tractors are fitted with 6.7-liter engines manufactured by Cummins Inc., which has a wealth of experience in the large agricultural equipment market. They boast high output with 190 and 210 horsepower options, as well as meeting the EPA Tier 4 Final emission standards.*1 - Design
The design draws on the M7 Series lineage with a combination of innovativeness and strength.
5. Production Factory:
Buhler Industries Inc.
Headquarters:
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- *1.The EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) is an organ of the United States Federal Government responsible for protecting the health of citizens and preserving the natural environment. Tier 4 Final is a regulatory standard for diesel engine emissions.
2. Background and Aims
- Kubota contributes to the advancement of society through business in the fields of food, water and the environment, each of which is essential to the survival of humankind. Kubota is expanding its business especially in the area of agricultural machinery for the rice farming market in Japan and other parts of Asia, and the fruit and vegetable and livestock markets – including forage – in Europe and North America, and thereby helping to address global-scale problems of food supply, as identified in the Sustainable Development Goals.
- Tackling the large agricultural machinery market is essential if Kubota is to contribute further to the challenges of food supply and expand its business in the medium to long term. This market is currently the strategic priority for the company’s business activities.
- For the development and production of the M8 Series, Kubota is partnering with Buhler, which has an extensive track record in the design, manufacture and sale of large tractors in North America. Buhler’s business know-how will be utilized to the full to shorten development lead time and optimize the tractors for local conditions.
- In recent years Kubota has been working steadily in preparation for full-scale entry to the large agricultural machinery market, and in 2012 it acquired Kverneland AS, a Norwegian manufacturer of equipment for large tractor use. 2014 saw the establishment of France-based large tractor manufacturing company Kubota Farm Machinery Europe S.A.S., while in 2016 Kubota acquired Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc., which handles a wide range of tractor equipment in North America. The new partnership with Buhler will add further impetus to Kubota’s penetration of the North American market for large agricultural machinery.
3. Schedule
Mass production is set to begin at the end of 2019, and North American sales in spring 2020.