Solectrac, a subsidiary of Ideanomics that develops 100% battery-powered, all-electric tractors for agriculture and utility operations, appointed 20-year John Deere executive Hariharan Viswanathan senior vice president of product and supplier development to scale and expedite availability of the company’s zero-emission tractors.

Viswanathan, a veteran of the agricultural industry specializing in product and technology development and vehicle electrification, will oversee operations as well as product and aftermarket sales of Solectrac’s line of zero-emission electric tractors. He will work with the company’s CEO, Mani Iyer, and its founder, Steve Heckeroth, while managing operations, manufacturing and product engineering teams. Viswanathan’s experience includes the development and launch of off-road vehicles, research and development (R&D) efficiency, the building of international teams and the management of R&D centers.

“We are excited to add Hari to the Solectrac team as we work towards our significant revenue goal in the next two years,” Iyer said. “With proven leadership skills in the development and execution of technology roadmaps, long-range plans and product design strategies, he is the right person at the right time to propel our business forward.”

Under Viswanathan’s guidance, Solectrac will aim to increase production and introduce new models and features.

Prior to Solectrac, Viswanathan led the global engineering and supplier development functions for tractors and loaders at John Deere. He directed a global team of 200 R&D staff members and implemented efficiency initiatives resulting in a steady annual reduction in R&D costs. His achievements also included helping to develop John Deere’s first compact electric tractor and launching other products to double the company’s compact tractor and loader business in eight years. Before that, he led engineering operations in China, where he developed the engineering organization and facilities to support growth plans in China. He has also served as lead engineer and program manager for product programs.

“After decades of working at one of the biggest names in the industry, I am excited to help build Solectrac and lead the way to a zero-emission agriculture future,” Viswanathan said. “My goal is to lead a team of innovators to create, sell and distribute the best possible technology that will not only reduce our carbon footprint, but also make farming safer and more efficient.”