Electric Commercial Lawn Mowers
Aaron Katzenstein
Planning and Rules
Commercial Mowers Background • Long lifetime
• Daily usage
• Heavy fuel consumers
AQMD Residential Lawn Mower Exchange
• Exchange gas mower for battery operated electric at reduced cost
• To date 47,000 mowers exchanged
• Mowers not suitable for commercial operation
Lawn and Garden Equipment Emissions - Contribution to Offroad Category
% C
on
trib
uti
on
to
Off
road
Cat
ego
ry
Pollutant
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
VOC NOx CO PM25
2008
2014
2019
Lawn and Garden Equipment Emissions - Contribution to South Coast Inventory
0.0%
2.0%
4.0%
6.0%
8.0%
10.0%
12.0%
14.0%
16.0%
18.0%
VOC NOx CO PM25
2008
2014
2019
% C
on
trib
uti
on
to
Ove
rall
Inve
nto
ry
Pollutant
Commercial Mower Categories
Commercial Turf
Rear Engine Rider
Front Mowers
South Coast Basin Mower Population* Commercial Residential
* 2010 estimates from Offroad Model
Front Mowers 173,262
Lawn & Garden Tractors 108,870
Lawn Mowers
2,049,934
Rear Engine Riding
Mowers 57,754
Front Mowers
5,358
Lawn & Garden Tractors 34,313
Lawn Mowers 139,952
Rear Engine Riding
Mowers 65,857
Commercial Turf
Equipment 12,796
0
4000
8000
12000
16000
Front Mowers
Lawn & Garden Tractors
Lawn Mowers
Rear Enging Riding
Mowers
Commercial Turf
Equipment
CO
PM
NOX
VOC Evap
VOC Exhaust
0
4000
8000
12000
16000
Front Mowers
Lawn & Garden Tractors
Lawn Mowers
Rear Engine Riding
Mowers
CO
PM
NOX
VOC Evap
VOG Exhaust
Residential
Commercial
Emissions tons/year
Emissions tons/year
0 200 400 600 800
1000 1200 1400 1600 1800 2000
Front Mowers
Lawn & Garden Tractors
Lawn Mowers
Rear Engine Riding
Mowers
PM
NOX
VOC Evap
VOG Exhaust
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
Front Mowers
Lawn & Garden Tractors
Lawn Mowers
Rear Enging Riding
Mowers
Commercial Turf
Equipment
PM
NOX
VOC Evap
VOC Exhaust
Commercial
Residential
Emissions per unit tons/year
0
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.05
0.06
Front Mowers
Lawn & Garden Tractors
Lawn Mowers
Rear Engine Riding
Mowers
CO
PM
NOX
VOC Evap
VOG Exhaust
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
Front Mowers
Lawn & Garden Tractors
Lawn Mowers
Rear Enging Riding
Mowers
Commercial Turf
Equipment
CO
PM
NOX
VOC Evap
VOC Exhaust
Commercial
Residential
0
0.01
0.02
0.03
0.04
0.05
0.06
0.07
Front Mowers
Lawn & Garden Tractors
Lawn Mowers
Rear Enging Riding
Mowers
Commercial Turf
Equipment
PM
NOX
VOC Evap
VOC Exhaust
0
0.0005
0.001
0.0015
0.002
0.0025
0.003
Front Mowers
Lawn & Garden Tractors
Lawn Mowers
Rear Engine Riding
Mowers
PM
NOX
VOC Evap
VOG Exhaust
Emissions per unit tons/year
Commercial
Residential
Current Market for Commercial Electric
• One Product
– Yard Hustler Zeon Mower (replaces 15 to 25 hp)
• 42” cutting width
• 1.5 to 2 hour run time (standard lead acid)
• Additional battery configurations can extend runtime
Advantages
• Reduced energy costs
• Quieter operation – 98 dBA electric vs. 103 dBA Gasoline
• Reduced Maintenance
Disadvantages
• Run time
• Charging time
• Battery costs
Electric Commercial Mower Advantages/Disadvantages
Next steps
• Further review of usage and emissions
• Review potential for going electric in larger width commercial mower – Run times (battery technologies)
– Charging times
– Costs
• Better understand cost effectiveness (emissions and fuel savings)
• Possible demonstration project/ incentives