Rigitrac (Switzerland)

aginsights

Overview & History

Rigitrac Traktorenbau AG is a Swiss specialist tractor manufacturer based in Küssnacht am Rigi, Canton Schwyz, focused on compact, highly manoeuvrable tractors for mountain agriculture, municipal work, specialised farming and demanding terrain.

The Rigitrac story is closely linked to Swiss agricultural machinery entrepreneur Sepp Knüsel. After decades of experience with agricultural machinery through Sepp Knüsel AG, Knüsel began developing his own tractor concept in the early 2000s. The first prototype appeared in 2003, followed by the Rigitrac SKH 120, a 120 hp tractor combining a central articulation/oscillation concept, four-wheel steering and hydrostatic continuously variable drive. Rigitrac Traktorenbau AG was subsequently established to industrialise the concept.

The fundamental idea was to develop a tractor particularly suited to Switzerland’s demanding conditions: steep slopes, narrow roads, intensive grassland farming and applications requiring excellent visibility and manoeuvrability.

Over the following two decades, Rigitrac progressively broadened its portfolio while retaining this distinctive architecture. More recently, the company has become particularly noteworthy for the SKE 40 electric, demonstrating that even a relatively small independent tractor OEM can develop a ground-up battery-electric tractor.

In 2026, Rigitrac introduced the new SKH 743, representing the latest evolution of its 116 hp tractor platform.

Corporate Structure / Ownership

Rigitrac operates as Rigitrac Traktorenbau AG, within the entrepreneurial and industrial ecosystem developed around Sepp Knüsel AG in Küssnacht am Rigi.

The business remains independent and strongly associated with the Knüsel family rather than belonging to a multinational agricultural machinery group.

Its activities integrate:

tractor engineering
product development
chassis design
hydraulic integration
electrical/electronic engineering
tractor assembly
testing
sales
service
spare parts.

Crucially, Rigitrac states that development and production are located in Switzerland at Küssnacht am Rigi.

Core Business & Product Portfolio

Rigitrac is a genuine tractor OEM, albeit operating at specialist rather than mass-market scale.

The current portfolio covers approximately 54–150 hp and includes both diesel and fully electric tractors.

Rigitrac SKH 60

The SKH 60 is a specialised 75 hp tractor particularly suited to mountain and grassland farming.

Key characteristics include:

Deutz TCD 2.9 L4 engine
75 hp
Stage V emissions compliance
hydrostatic continuously variable drive
40 km/h maximum speed
four-wheel steering
crab steering
rear steering
front and rear PTO
low centre of gravity.

Its most distinctive feature is the cab slope-compensation system, capable of compensating gradients up to approximately 30%, improving operator posture when working across steep slopes.

This makes the SKH 60 particularly relevant to Alpine grassland farming.

Rigitrac SKH 75

The SKH 75 moves into a higher performance category.

Key specifications include:

Deutz TCD 3.6 four-cylinder
116 hp
460 Nm maximum torque
Stage V
hydrostatic drive
40 km/h
four equal-sized wheels
multiple steering modes
4,500 kg permissible axle load per axle.

The defining characteristic is Rigitrac’s central articulation concept, which allows front and rear implements to remain axle-guided while maintaining excellent terrain adaptation.

Rigitrac SKH 743 – New Generation

The SKH 743, unveiled in 2026, represents the latest evolution of the SKH 75 concept.

It retains the 116 hp Deutz TCD 3.6 engine but introduces significant updates including:

more powerful hydrostatic transmission
two driving ranges
new axles
tyres up to 24 inches
selectable four-wheel drive
100% front and rear differential locks
68 l/min load-sensing hydraulics
larger steering angle
front-wheel, four-wheel and crab steering
new digital display
multifunction armrest
joystick control
suspended cab
suspended front axle
automatic climate control.

Front-loader capability has also been expanded through the Hauer XB Bionic 90.

This model significantly broadens Rigitrac’s relevance beyond Alpine farming into loader, municipal, forestry, road-maintenance and general utility applications.

Rigitrac SKH 150

At the top of the conventional range is the SKH 150.

Key characteristics include:

FPT four-cylinder engine
150 hp
continuously variable hydrostatic drive
central articulation
low centre of gravity
multiple steering configurations
front-axle suspension
cab suspension
axle-load capacity up to 8,300 kg.

The machine is designed for heavier agricultural, municipal and loader applications while retaining the manoeuvrability characteristic of smaller Rigitrac machines.

Rigitrac SKE 40 Electric

The SKE 40 e-direct Electric is strategically the most interesting product in the portfolio.

Unlike many electric tractor prototypes, it is a purpose-designed fully electric tractor platform.

The machine uses a 58 kWh / 400 V lithium-ion battery and provides:

40 kW / 54 hp continuous traction power
64 kW / 87 hp peak traction power
0–40 km/h variable drive
approximately 4–8 hours working time
22 kW onboard charger
approximately 2 hours to 80% charge
minimum 3,000 specified charging cycles.

e-direct Architecture

The technological differentiator is Rigitrac’s e-direct system.

Instead of using one large electric motor to replace the diesel engine mechanically, the SKE 40 employs five intelligently controlled electric motors, activated according to demand.

Separate electric drives operate:

traction
front PTO
rear PTO
hydraulic functions.

This allows PTO speed and direction to be controlled independently of vehicle speed.

The tractor also incorporates:

regenerative braking
electrically controlled proportional hydraulics
heat-pump heating and cooling
battery placement between the axles
suspended cab
panoramic visibility.

The battery’s low position contributes simultaneously to weight distribution and a low centre of gravity.

Applications

Rigitrac positions the SKE 40 for:

light and medium agricultural operations
orchards
specialty crops
municipal maintenance
parks
sports grounds
golf courses
greenhouses
indoor operations
winter maintenance
noise-sensitive areas.

These applications are particularly well aligned with electrification because duty cycles are relatively predictable and continuous high draft power is not normally required.

Product Scope Clarification

Rigitrac manufactures:

specialised agricultural tractors
mountain tractors
multifunctional utility tractors
municipal tractors
fully electric tractors
tractor chassis and associated systems.

Rigitrac does NOT manufacture as core product lines:

combines
forage harvesters
balers
sprayers
seed drills
telehandlers
large tillage implements
engines.

Its industrial focus is unequivocally specialised tractor engineering.

Technology & Engineering / Digital Approach

Rigitrac’s engineering philosophy can be summarised as:

Stability • Manoeuvrability • Low centre of gravity • Implement visibility • Multifunctionality

Its differentiation comes primarily from vehicle architecture rather than simply engine performance.

Steering Architecture

Depending on model, Rigitrac tractors offer combinations of:

front-wheel steering
four-wheel steering
rear-wheel steering
crab steering
delayed steering.

This gives exceptional manoeuvrability in confined farmyards, steep terrain and municipal applications.

Central Articulation

The SKH concept uses a centrally positioned articulation arrangement while retaining axle-guided front and rear implements.

This is particularly important on uneven terrain because the tractor can adapt to ground contours while maintaining stability and implement control.

CAN-Bus & Electronic Hydraulics

Rigitrac uses CAN-Bus control and proportional electronic hydraulic valves across its modern machines. The new SKH 743 further develops the operator interface through digital display, joystick and multifunction armrest.

The company is therefore technologically sophisticated for its size, although it does not currently offer a precision-agriculture ecosystem comparable with the major global tractor OEMs.

Manufacturing & Industrial Footprint

Rigitrac tractors are developed and manufactured in Küssnacht am Rigi, Switzerland.

This is strategically important.

Switzerland has only a very limited modern tractor-manufacturing industry, making Rigitrac one of the country’s rare genuine tractor OEMs.

The company’s relatively small scale enables:

specialised production
customer-specific configurations
rapid engineering modifications
close interaction between development and manufacturing.

The downside is significantly lower economies of scale than mainstream tractor manufacturers.

Markets & Distribution / Customer Base

Rigitrac’s natural home market is Switzerland, particularly regions characterised by:

Alpine agriculture
grassland farming
livestock production
steep terrain
municipal operations.

The company also serves customers in neighbouring and selected European markets.

Typical users include:

mountain farmers
dairy and livestock farms
agricultural contractors
municipalities
road-maintenance organisations
airports
forestry operators
specialty-crop farms.

The SKE 40 additionally opens markets where noise and local emissions are particularly important.

Strengths & Competitive Advantages

Genuine Swiss tractor engineering
More than 20 years of proprietary tractor development
Highly distinctive vehicle architecture
Excellent manoeuvrability
Low centre of gravity
Strong steep-slope capability
Four-wheel and crab steering
Specialist Alpine farming expertise
Hydrostatic continuously variable transmissions
In-house development and Swiss manufacturing
Commercial fully electric tractor
Innovative multi-motor e-direct architecture
Strong municipal crossover potential

Weaknesses / Constraints

Very small production scale versus global tractor OEMs
Premium Swiss manufacturing costs
Limited international dealer network
Narrow horsepower range
No complete agricultural machinery ecosystem
Limited precision-agriculture offering
Dependence on external diesel engine suppliers such as Deutz and FPT
Limited relevance to high-horsepower broadacre agriculture
Electric tractor economics remain application-dependent.

Rigitrac’s biggest limitation is therefore scale rather than engineering capability.

Outlook & Opportunities

Rigitrac is positioned around several interesting agricultural machinery trends:

tractor electrification
specialised rather than universal power units
municipal/agricultural crossover
soil protection
operator ergonomics
lower fuel consumption
low-emission machinery
compact high-performance tractors.

The SKE 40 could become particularly important as European municipalities and specialist agricultural businesses seek zero-emission machinery.

The SKH 743, meanwhile, demonstrates that Rigitrac is continuing to invest in conventional tractors rather than becoming exclusively an electric-tractor project. Its 116 hp platform expands the company’s addressable applications in agriculture, forestry, front-loader work and municipal services.

Summary Table

Category	Highlights
Brand	Rigitrac
Company	Rigitrac Traktorenbau AG
Origins	2003
Founder / Key Figure	Sepp Knüsel
Headquarters	Küssnacht am Rigi, Switzerland
Core Business	Specialised tractors
Current Range	SKH 60, SKH 75, SKH 743, SKH 150, SKE 40 Electric
Power Range	Approx. 54–150 hp
Diesel Engines	Deutz / FPT
Transmission Focus	Hydrostatic continuously variable drive
Key Technologies	Central articulation, multi-mode steering, slope compensation
Electric Platform	SKE 40 e-direct
Battery	58 kWh
Electric Runtime	Approx. 4–8 hours
Manufacturing	Küssnacht am Rigi, Switzerland
Primary Markets	Switzerland / Europe
Competitive Position	Specialist Swiss tractor OEM

Bottom Line

Rigitrac is a small company with disproportionately strong tractor-engineering capabilities.

Its significance does not come from production volume. It comes from having developed a genuinely differentiated tractor architecture around the specific requirements of steep terrain, manoeuvrability, stability and multifunctional operation rather than producing another conventional tractor at smaller scale.

The company has also demonstrated unusual technological ambition. The SKE 40 e-direct is particularly noteworthy because Rigitrac did not simply substitute a battery and motor for a diesel engine. Its five-motor architecture exploits electrification to decouple traction, PTO and auxiliary functions, potentially improving efficiency and controllability.

At the same time, the new SKH 743 shows that Rigitrac continues to evolve its core combustion-engine tractor architecture, adding stronger hydraulics, improved steering, modern electronic controls and broader loader capability.

Rigitrac should therefore not be viewed merely as a niche “Swiss mountain tractor” manufacturer. It is better understood as a specialist tractor engineering company using small production volumes to experiment with architectures that larger OEMs often struggle to justify economically.