The attempts to construct electrically driven vehicles and mobile machines have been recorded from the 19th century. Electric tractors and electrically driven agricultural machinery, have not, however, wider application in practice. The emergence of the new opportunities offered by electronics, which include electronic processing of alternating current, as well increased requirements for environmental protection, calls for a wider introduction of electric drives in agricultural machinery. This article describes new directions of development of these drives, and gives examples of some work to achieve this goal.