I was in Antwerp last week to hear Husqvarna CEO Kai Warn unveil what he described as ‘the biggest leap in our industry since we motorised outdoor products’.

I’m really not sure about that. 

The first motorised lawnmower dates back to 1902 – and since then there have been some important milestones. Electric mowers, robotic mowers, hover mowers, solar mowers, and battery powered mowers.

Of these, battery power has had the longest incubation to commercial maturity of the lot.  It was almost 60 years ago (1958) that Webb Mowers launched a prototype battery powered radio controlled mower.

During the 1960s, Webb and Atco produced battery powered, self-propelled cylinder mowers that became highly popular for a time. Powered off a 12 volt car-battery, they would typically run for over 45 minutes.  But the era of light mains electric machines, such as the Qualcast Concorde, was just around the corner costing a fraction of the price, and commercially they soon became outdated and not viable.    

But let’s not quibble with Husqvarna’s claim. Battery technology has changed out of all recognition in the past few years, although there still remains a resistance from owners and operators. The objections have been threefold, price, power and run-time.

The run-time and power issues provided by a new generation of lithium batteries are rapidly catching up with petrol powered products – and Husqvarna were announcing the next step in development for the landscaping and contractor sector.

Batteries fitted with Bluetooth which can be paired with smart phones to provide real-time information on machine efficiency, battery use, service reminders, fleet management and much more. That information could also be transmitted to the visors of safety helmets to also include weather data as well as a view from the ‘sharp-end’ of the machine from a small camera when working in complicated areas.

Whilst the use of Cloud technology to monitor equipment is used in other industries such as in farm equipment, shipping and transport, it is a relatively new development for outdoor power equipment.

Perhaps the most interesting observation came from a Dutch landscaper, Douwe Snoek, who is using the integrated Husqvarna Fleet Service system. He admitted that employees in the landscaping business were often regarded as unskilled. “That’s a wrong perception, but by equipping them with mobiles which will plan their day, monitor their work and provide full information certainly makes them feel more important and valued” he said.

Yes, it was thought-provoking and progressive stuff, but at the present rate of change it could be the norm in a short space of time.