The Electric Combine

The Electric Combine includes both an exploratory research paper and an accompanying presentation that investigate the feasibility of electrifying farm equipment, by replacing its diesel engine with Tesla electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack. This was a final project for one of the first courses I took at Stanford: Energy Options for the 21st Century, and it marked the beginning of my work in communicating science and engineering for sustainability applications.

Working on this project taught me that sustainability innovations require balancing engineering feasibility, cost-effectiveness, and user needs. While investigating the power requirements, battery specifications, and economic implications, I learned how crucial clear communication is in guiding stakeholders, such as farmers, equipment manufacturers, and policymakers, toward a more eco-friendly future. The process pushed me to refine calculations and explanations so that non-specialists could recognize the feasibility of electric agricultural machinery.

As a result, I grew more confident in translating specialized knowledge into actionable proposals. Furthermore, this project pushed me to consider pursuing more rigorous research in sustainability the summer after my freshman year (where I worked on carbon taxation in British Columbia and France). This early-stage project laid the foundation for further studies of devising practical, data-informed solutions for environmental challenges.

Grow: Carbon Taxation →