Former VW boss Herbert Diess wants to bring an electric tractor onto the market with a new company next year.
May 27, 2026, 04:39May 27, 2026, 04:39
It will be a mid-range tractor for farmers and municipal services, he wrote on the LinkedIn platform.
Herbert Diess was CEO of VW.Image: keystone
The agricultural machine should be equipped with an interchangeable battery system that enables “24/7 operation”. In addition, all common devices such as mowers and snow plows should be able to be attached to the tractor.
According to Diess, the company wants to be competitive with comparable diesel vehicles from the first deliveries in 2027. “We want to quickly pass on our competitiveness to as many companies as possible,” wrote the 67-year-old. This should be achieved through attractive prices, the highest quality and the possibility of using the solar power produced in agriculture for daily work.
“We are right on schedule”
Diess E-Agrartechnik AG is “full on schedule” when it comes to product development. A competent core team drives the company. The company based in Munich therefore works with an agricultural machinery company and supplier established in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Diess did not mention the names of the partner companies.
Diess’ company is not yet listed in the federal business register. In addition to tractors, the company also wants to offer charging stations and electrical attachments, among other things. Autonomous agricultural machinery is also planned in the future.
Diess after VW: Chairman of the supervisory board and hotelier
Diess was CEO of Volkswagen from 2018 to 2022. Even after his dismissal, he received a board salary in the millions. In 2025, including pension provision and variable remuneration, it was a good nine million euros – more than his successor Oliver Blume. Diess finally retired from Wolfsburg on his 67th birthday in autumn 2025.
The Munich native has been chairman of the supervisory board at chip manufacturer Infineon since 2023. He is also involved in several start-ups – and, according to previous information, is often in Spain, where he runs a small hotel, cattle breeding and a pear plantation. (sda/dpa)