Launching this May, homeowners in Stockholm will be able to access pay-per-use power tools for the garden, eliminating the need to maintain and store hedge trimmers, chainsaws and other tools that are used less frequently.
The project is a pilot from Husqvarna as part of the company’s commitment to 'explore innovative and sustainable solutions for taking care of gardens and green spaces'.
Husqvarna Battery Box
The Husqvarna Battery Box, is a "smart", 8x3m, unattended container with 30 electronic lockers that store battery powered garden care products. Homeowners can reserve tools via an iPhone app, get instructions, pay, and open the locker to pick up their pre-booked power tool. The "box" will be placed at Bromma Blocks, a shopping centre 15 min west of Stockholm city. Renting a garden care product will cost just over £30 a day.
The connection between the Husqvarna Battery Box and the customer is enabled via Bluetooth. For identification purposes, the customer uses the Swedish ID app “BankID”. Payments are charged to the registered credit card at the end of the month. During the pilot period, the app is only available on iOS.
From a performance perspective, the battery products in the box are equivalent to the petrol versions of comparable size, but without the noise and direct emissions. The battery series in the box is powered by a 36V Li-ion battery, and one battery fits all products in the box (chainsaw, hedge trimmer, blower, trimmer).
“People are already sharing homes and cars. To share products that are only used occasionally, like a hedge-trimmer, makes a lot of sense for some users. Husqvarna Battery Box is proof of our commitment to explore new solutions that merge innovation and sustainability, benefitting the homeowner, the community and our distribution network,” says Pavel Hajman, President of the Husqvarna division.
The test period runs from May 1 to October 31, 2017.