Brian McCowan, Zondits staff, 1/14/22
Electrification – More than Heat Pumps and Automobiles
News regarding the transition to electric end uses and the associated reliance on renewable energy typically focuses on automobiles and heat pumps. As the Zondits articles on electric backhoes illustrates, many additional opportunities exist for adopting the use of rechargeable electric equipment. Zondits is introducing a series of articles relating to this transition. We will feature products that are available to consumers today as well as those currently under development. Product categories will include common landscaping equipment such as lawn mowers, chainsaws, and trimmers, and will also include rechargeable emergency generators, motorcycles, scooters, and categories suggested by Zondits’ readers.
Although the products covered utilize smaller engines than automobiles, they represent some of the highest emissions as the development of emissions controls for small engines has lagged behind those for automobiles.
Zondits does not endorse any products and receives no compensation for products featured in the linked articles.
Rechargeable Electric Lawnmowers
According to multiple market research firms, over 12 million lawn mowers are sold in the U.S. each year and is expected to reach 16 million units by 2025. The popularity of electric powered mowers has increased dramatically in the last several years, and their share of the residential market is estimated at nearly 30%. California has banned the sale of most gasoline powered lawn care equipment beginning in 2025 and many other states are considering similar bans.
Reviews of electric lawnmowers praise them for their ease of use, durability, and efficiency. The technology website CNET reports that the performance of electric mowers is highly variable. CNET tested eight popular electric mowers and recommends three models depending on the size of the lawn and mower purchase price. The following is excerpted from their article “The Best Electric Lawn Mowers of 2021.”
“No longer tethered by a cord like their primitive predecessors, today’s battery-powered electric lawn mowers are more powerful than before — that’s important when you’re trying to keep your yard in tip-top shape year-round. That said, today’s battery mowers come in a wide range of prices and capabilities. I found over the course of this testing that there’s a huge variation in how well a battery powered lawn mower performs compared with how it’s advertised, as well as how well battery mowers performed when compared to a corded electric lawn mower or a gas lawn mower.”
The online magazine The Spruce, which publishes reviews across many categories of products, recommends eight models for lawns under ½ acre in size.
Market research references: