Case New Holland surprised Pittsburg State University’s automotive students and faculty with the donation of a $287,000 methane-powered tractor to the automotive technology program. The presentation took place Oct. 29, at the Crossland Technology Center, where students and faculty were joined by representatives from Case New Holland. They all gathered for what was expected to be a brief training session. Instead, the company announced it would be gifting the equipment to the program permanently.
Kelly Burgess, a representative from Case New Holland, presented the T6.180 Methane Powered Tractor to the program. Burgess said this was his way of giving back to the university that helped invest in his education.
“This is an absolutely pivotal moment,” Burgess said. “I went to school here, and they invested so much in me that when I saw an opportunity to give back, I took the opportunity.”
The tractor is one of the first 100% methane-powered production tractors. It operates on a system where farmers grow crops and use crop waste to generate renewable fuel to power the tractor, helping grow more crops in turn. According to CNH, the tractor produces 98% less particulate matter and reduces carbon dioxide and overall emission by 80% compared to regular diesel-powered equipment.
Professor Scott Norman said this is the first semester the program has taught an alternate fuels class, covering fuels people do not usually see or use in normal applications. The donation comes at an important time for the automotive technology program.
“And so, the problem was, we didn’t have a natural gas vehicle here,” Norman said.
Norman said that he reached out to Case New Holland and spoke with Burgess, asking if there was any possibility the company could provide training with one of their new tractors, or send someone to talk to the students about the technology itself.
“He (Burgess) said, ‘I’ll do you one better, I can send you a tractor, and you guys could have it here.’” Norman said.
The program had originally been using the tractor on loan for the past month for classes when CNH representatives arrived on Wednesday for what was scheduled to be an official training event.
“They surprised us and said ‘Hey, not only are we giving you training on this borrowed tractor, but we’re actually giving you the tractor,” Norman said. “We just can’t believe it.”
Norman said that the equipment would be integrated into multiple courses, not just the alternative fuels class. Students in the mobile fuels class, engine classes, diesel engine classes, and agricultural equipment class would also have access to the tractor for hands-on learning as well.
The tractor was also highlighted as an electric hybrid technology, providing students with exposure to multiple different fuel systems in one piece of equipment.
Nicholas Treaster, a former Pitt student who majored in automotive technology and graduated in 2016, now works as the field after sales manager with Case Holland. He attended the event and spoke about the educational value that the donation served. He described that the goal of these tractors was to be used as full life cycle equipment. Dairy farmers, airports, and other facilities that have access to natural gas can use the tractor while producing lower emissions. The impact on students will be significant, according to Treaster. Their hands-on access will give them a way to see the different components on the machine itself and learn practical skills.
“Now that they’ll be able to see the different components on the actual machine, they can learn how to refuel it and things like that,” Treaster said. “It’ll give them some hands-on experience, along with the theory that they’ll need to be able to either service or support it. It’s a good opportunity for them to get around these products and technology to understand what they’ll be using in the future.”