Battery technology has evolved beyond recognition in the last decade, with the most recent developments giving professionals in arboriculture, forestry and turf care the green light in the transition from petrol. Steve Roskell, marketing director (EMEA) for EGO Power Plus, delves into how cost, performance and acceptance have combined to create a crucial tipping point for the future of outdoor power equipment in the arb sector.
IN the electric vehicle market, the term “range anxiety” was coined to describe concerns over whether the batteries would provide enough power for a vehicle to reach its destination. For forestry and arb professionals, a similar concern exists in the case of battery-powered tools compared to their petrol counterparts.
When we started this journey, domestic tool users and light-duty users were quicker in adopting this new technology than professional users. Developments in battery technology have made a significant difference in people’s overall perception of the power and performance battery-powered tools can deliver.
We have reimagined our EGO Pro X series with the development of tools specifically for heavy-duty users such as arborists. The Pro X tools conform to the IPX5 rating which enables them to continue providing reliable performance no matter the weather conditions.
A first for the industry, we have introduced a modular charging system to the market in response to this demand. Users could start with the three-port battery charging solution and then add more docking stations as their need for equipment and batteries expands with the demands of their work.
The charging system allows up to 70 of its 56V ARC Lithium batteries to be charged from a single charging hub running off a standard 13A power supply. We also offer a DC-to-DC charging unit for mobile recharging during the day. Featuring a large-format 40Ah battery which can recharge a 2.5Ah battery 15 times in a single day. All of this is compactly designed to fit easily in the back of a work van ensuring everything is close at hand.
All EGO Pro X tools are also IoT-enabled to prevent problems that lead to downtime. The EGO Fleet app provides you with full tool visibility over aspects such as tool usage, tool location and tool service reminders.
Number crunching
Compared to equivalent petrol-powered products, battery-powered products offer a very attractive return on investment. At EGO Power Plus we carried out a cost comparison test between three of our Pro X products – a hedge trimmer, a grass trimmer, and a leaf blower. We calculated costs for everything users would need to operate these tools, so for our Pro X series tools we included the backpack harness, batteries, and rapid charger as well as energy costs; and for the petrol-powered equivalents, we included fuel and servicing costs.
The results of the analysis confirmed that buying and owning cordless tools is cheaper than buying petrol-powered kit – over a third cheaper in fact. This result has not swayed since we first conducted this research six years ago.
If an arb professional is running their equipment for three years, a trio of our cordless tools would save them over £1,450 during that period. If they keep the kit for five years, the total savings are an estimated £6,668 compared to the petrol-powered machines.
Even though we have also seen a rise in our energy bills, arb and forestry professionals will notice a considerable difference in how much they must set aside for running costs by switching to battery power. Instead, they will be able to take back control of their outgoings and invest more in the growth of their business.
Market acceptance
Legislation and regulation are only going one way and that is in favour of battery tools. Petrol tools are up to three times noisier, plus they create air pollution at the point of use – neither of which are good for the operator or the environment. Furthermore, we now know that tool vibration can cause long-term health problems for operators. Our research found that 80 per cent of the petrol-powered tools we studied breached the legal limit for vibrations, meaning that they cannot lawfully be used for a full eight-hour shift. Cordless tools such as the Pro X series do not breach this limit.
Furthermore, greenhouse gas emissions will become increasingly important to professionals in arboriculture, forestry and turf care. This is because large organisations that are required to report on their carbon footprints must include emissions from contractors in these calculations.
Many public and private sector companies are therefore looking to their supply chains and service providers to cut these Scope 3 emissions. Petrol-powered tools can have deceptively high emissions, too. Research commissioned by EGO found that petrol leaf blowers can emit up to 11 times more greenhouse gases than a Ford Fiesta.
Battery power is now such a commonplace part of our lives that we understand it and no longer doubt nor fear it. With concerns around price and performance now firmly addressed, and cordless tools providing a better user experience, the transition is now inevitable.
To learn more about our reimagined Pro X range, visit: www.egopowerplus.co.uk/ranges/professional-x-range
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