Farm
Wente Vineyards in California was the first to use one of Monarch's tractors, in 2021.
A dated step forward on the record
What the source says
“Representatives for Wente Vineyards, which was the first to use one of Monarch’s tractors in 2021”
What it means
Monarch MK-V, from Monarch Tractor (Zimeno Inc.), is at stage 4 of 5 on our ladder: paying customers. Its stage is set by other milestones on its record; this one adds to the history.
Human help: The maker hasn't said whether people help it remotely.
More on Monarch MK-V
- TechCrunch reported, citing US patent office filings, that Caterpillar acquired Monarch's assets after Monarch handed its affairs over for the benefit of its creditors (a way of winding up a company outside bankruptcy court).
- Three federal lawsuits by dealers questioned whether the tractors worked as sold. One dealer complaint said the tractors could not run on their own indoors.
- Monarch auctioned off its equipment in February 2026 and left its research site in Livermore, California, which is now up for lease.
- Monarch said it had shipped about 500 tractors in total.
- Monarch warned staff it might lay off more than 100 employees and could shut down, as it tried to switch to selling software instead of tractors.
- Monarch lost its contract manufacturer, Foxconn, in 2025.