OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT

By Glenn Hansen

When the Ram division of Stellantis ( the parent company of Dodge trucks ) ran a 60-second Super Bowl commercial , it got a lot of attention for its provocative “ premature electrification ” theme . With clever writing that mocked an often-spoofed medical condition , Ram tried to address the issue so many fear about batteries — will they last . Ram ’ s actual goal was to get truck buyers to wait several months for its electric trucks instead of buying a Ford Lightning F-150 .

However , although battery life is a serious consideration in the electric equipment purchase process , it ’ s one of many , and it might not even be the most important one .

IT ’ S REAL , NOW I researched this topic to learn the current state of electrification in the outdoor power equipment industry . What are manufacturers doing ? Why are they doing it ? What do dealers think ? I spoke with a few dozen people and ran a short survey . In the process , I uncovered a story — two actually , one short and one long .

The short story : The internal combustion engines we ’ ve enjoyed for 150 years are going away because consumers want better options and manufacturers are creating those options .

The long story : It includes noise reduction and ease of use and motor efficiency and sustainability and regulations and uncertainty — a lot of uncertainty .

26 SportsField Management | December 2023 sportsfieldmanagementonline . com