Firstly today, all at Service Dealer would like to convey our sincere condolences to the family of Scott Grieve and his colleagues at GGM. It is shockingly tragic news that the dealership and Scott’s family gave us permission to share with our wider community today. 

Looking elsewhere in our Update this week, Milwaukee have published a whitepaper with the title Room to Breathe, arguing that the outdoor power equipment industry needs to accelerate its move away from petrol and towards battery-powered machinery. It's not the first manufacturer to make that case and judging by the material we see from many of your suppliers, it feels precisely the way that the industry is heading.

But it does raise the question, is it reflective of what your business is experiencing in your day-to-day interactions with customers?

It seems to me that when we have walked around many of the major turfcare exhibitions in the last couple of years, you'd be forgiven for thinking petrol-powered machinery had all but disappeared. Battery products dominate the stands and robotics are everywhere. In some cases, manufacturers almost seem reluctant (embarrassed even?) to mention the petrol ranges they still produce, despite them presumably remaining an important part of their portfolio.

Is that because the market has genuinely moved on? Or because that's the future manufacturers understandably want to present?

I suspect most would agree that battery technology has come on an enormous distance in a remarkably short time. Performance, runtime and product choice continue to improve and who would want to argue against the convenience of quieter operation and reduced emissions offering genuine benefits to the end user? Whether you're selling garden machinery, professional turfcare equipment, agricultural kit or even compact construction machinery, battery-powered equipment is undeniably significant.

But new petrol-powered machinery is still being produced and sold.

In fact, during our visit to Equip in Louisville last year, the mood felt rather different. While battery technology was still hugely prominent, there also seemed to be a renewed confidence in what Americans call "gas" equipment. The roar and smell of traditional combustion engines when one stepped outside into the huge demo area in Kentucky was clearly apparent. If you're interested, you can watch my conversation from last year’s show with the head of the OPEI, Kris Kiser, where we discussed the trend, here.

More recently, I was visiting family in California where legislation has effectively banned the sale of new petrol-powered handheld outdoor power equipment. Yet every landscaping contractor I saw working (and I saw a lot!) were still using older petrol machines. Whether that's simply because existing equipment remains perfectly serviceable or because contractors still believe petrol best suits their needs, it struck me as an interesting reminder that legislation and personal choice don't always go hand-in-hand.

We've heard similar messages to Milwaukee’s before. Notably there was EGO's Challenge 2025 campaign that ended last year after spending five years, as they put it, “educating domestic and professional users on the benefits of battery-powered outdoor power equipment.”

So the question must be, have these campaigns combined with the general mainstreaming of battery-powered machinery in your showrooms, truly resonated with your customers?

Are end users now actively asking for battery products, or do many still walk into your showroom expecting petrol? Are professional users genuinely replacing entire fleets, or simply adding battery products where they make sense? Is the transition happening naturally, or is customer demand not quite keeping up with the direction in which the industry is heading?

I suspect the answer probably varies depending on where you are located, who your customers are and which sectors you serve? But that’s why we’d love to hear your feedback.

Has your business reached the point where battery is now your primary growth area? Do you think the industry has the balance about right? Or has petrol become something nobody wants to talk about, despite remaining an essential part of many dealerships?

As always, the most interesting views will come from you, our valued dealer readers. So please leave a comment below or drop me a line.