Battery-Powered Equipment “Costs Less Than Gas”

Battery-Powered Equipment “Costs Less Than Gas” ATV S Battery-powered commercial grade lawn and garden equipment is taking over from gas-powered equipment and not just because it runs quieter and cleaner “Our 82-volt lithium battery-powered equipment saves money over gas-powered equipment and with less noise and fumes is better for the enviromnent and much more pleasant to operate ” says Yin Chen founder and CEO Greenworks So Chen gets excited describing the long-term economics of going electric He compares it to buying your fuel up front “When we introduced the market’s first lithium-ion powered string trimmer in 2007 its performance didn’t compare to its gas-powered competitors ” says Chen “Today we can provide equal performance or better at a lower total cost ” One example of this is Greenworks’ 25-in self-propelled lawn mower compared to a similar-sized commercial gas-powered mower the initial cost of the Greenworks mower plus 2 batteries and a charger is about $20 less than the gas-powered mower If you replace both mowers at 500 hrs and figure in fuel and maintenance the total cost of the Greenworks mower is $2 042 compared to $4 140 for the gas-powered mower A similar case can be made for the company’s commercial 60-in zero-turn riding mower notes Tony Marchese commercial business unit leader at Greenworks “Someone looking at our zero-turn at $24 000 mower plus battery packs and recharge system sees it as double that of a comparable gas unit ” he says “They don’t consider how much gas and oil they use over the course of a year That makes the cost much easier to justify ” Greenworks designs and builds its own batteries along with 80 percent of all components They are designed for a balance between power run time and recharge “We focus on building a battery that will give a longer run time under full throttle and recharge more quickly ” says Marchese Using the 82-volt architecture the company has introduced 2 5 4 5 and 12 4 backpack Ah batteries all the way up to 13 8 kWh for zero-turn mowers and utility vehicles The batteries power nearly 60 products with more on the way Each tool is matched to an appropriate battery size “If a zero-turn would use 5 to 10 gallons of gas in a day our 13 8 kWh battery provides equivalent running time ” says Marchese Greenway products include everything from a variety of string trimmers to chainsaws blowers snowblowers and mowers including the zero-turns and the UTV that use the 13 8 Kwh battery An exception to the 82-volt line is the 40-volt arborist saw with its 10-in bar A computerized electrical system monitors all operational aspects of the batteries and the tools In the case of mowers when they hit heavy grass instead of slowing down the blade the battery delivers more energy to the mower to maintain rpm’s The system also automatically monitors the battery and keeps every cell balanced for longer life Greenworks keeps upgrading technology and batteries Later this fall they are introducing 3 and 6 Ah smart batteries with built-in Bluetooth and USB connectivity An app on your phone will give you full access to all types of data about the smart battery and the equipment it’s running That includes the capability to monitor its location by GPS and to shut it down remotely should the equipment be misplaced or taken off site For a company that is only 16 years old Greenworks is shaking up the outdoor equipment industry with more than 3 000 patents The 45 000 employees operate in 9 countries around the world with 500 engineers in the U S China and Sweden Greenworks recently introduced a line of 30 lawn garden and shop tools operating on a dual voltage 48/24 power platform Slip the battery into a 48-volt mower or trimmer and it automatically adjusts to that need Transfer it to a 24-volt drill or driver and it matches that tool as well Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Greenworks Commercial 500 S Main St Suite 450 Mooresville N C 28115 ph 855 470-4267; customerus@greenworkscommercial com; www greenworkscommercial com

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