At a time when rising diesel costs and global fuel supply uncertainty are placing renewed pressure on Australian agriculture, a new autonomous e-tractor trial in a Perth Hills orchard is giving growers a practical look at how electric autonomous equipment may fit into day-to-day operations.

Words Kim Starkie, Industry Development Officer, WA Stonefruit

WHAT began as an industry conversation has evolved into an on-farm trial between the Agovor team and Perth Hills orchardist Andrew Ghilarducci, who is testing the technology under commercial orchard conditions at the family’s Karragullen property.

The opportunity developed after the Agovor team travelled to Western Australia for several industry events. The WA Stonefruit Industry Development Officer connected with the team and offered an opportunity to showcase the innovation to stonefruit growers across the state.

Agovor’s Richard Beaumont and Kev O’Reilly were keen to maximise their time in WA, with demonstrations subsequently held in both the Perth Hills and Donnybrook regions. Following the demonstrations, Andrew saw value in understanding how the technology could operate within a working orchard environment and agreed to trial the system as part of normal orchard operations.

Andrew and his brother Chris are using the trial to assess how “Flo”, Agovor’s autonomous e-tractor platform, performs across a range of everyday tasks, including mowing and spraying across varying elevations, gravel surfaces, soil types and drainage conditions.

Rather than operating in a controlled demonstration setting, the system is being tested within the realities of commercial orchard management, where reliability, efficiency and ease of use are critical.

For Andrew, the focus is not simply on new machinery, but on whether autonomous electric equipment can practically reduce labour demand, lower fuel use and allow staff to focus on higher-value tasks around the orchard.

During the initial demonstrations, Andrew immediately identified repetitive operations such as mowing as areas where efficiencies could potentially be gained. Estimated charging costs of approximately $1 per day per unit also prompted discussion around potential long-term operating cost savings compared with conventional diesel-powered equipment.

As the trial progresses, feedback is being collected through app-generated data, as well as direct communication between Andrew and the Agovor team.

The trial is ongoing until at least July and, for Andrew as an innovative orchardist, the value lies in understanding where the technology genuinely fits within orchard operations, what works well under local conditions and where further refinement may still be needed.

Across the industry, there is growing interest in how autonomous electric equipment may support future orchard operations as growers continue to navigate labour pressures, rising input costs and fuel uncertainty.

“We are certainly happy to be participating in this trial and look forward to the findings, which we will be more than happy to share with interested growers.”

Top: Nectarine block that is being mowed as part of the trial by Flo. Left: Agovor’s Autonomous E-Tractor in nectarine block.

Agovor was founded by Richard Beaumont and Simon Carroll with a mission to improve productivity and reduce environmental impact in horticultural production systems through autonomous between-row equipment for orchards and vineyards.

The company recently received a second investment through the Hort Innovation Investment Fund in February 2026.