Seems that green / electric lawn tools are going to take off in the coming two years, including some promising technical improvements for better power, performance and run time.
Core Outdoor Power Launches State-of-the-art Line of GasLess™ Outdoor Power Equipment
Product availability early 2012, more products in 2013. They use Lithium battery packs.
http://coreoutdoorpower.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Core Outdoor Power’s product line features a new motor that utilizes patented technology known as Conductor Optimized Rotary Energy, “CORE.” The technology eliminates wire windings and iron laminations found in traditional electric motors and replaces them with a printed circuit board stator that cooperates with permanent magnet rotors to optimize the generated power. The use of CORE motors in these products enables them to produce a high-torque rotary motion at very high efficiency levels, which leads to longer run times and unmatched performance.
I believe this will translate into a compact, high torque motor so it be revolutionary for Electric Vehicle applications but will improve application like weed whackers, mowers, blowers, etc. where high torque is needed with low to medium RPM. The high torque eliminates the need for a gear reduction or gear box for some applications.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrnA3YnqZ3s[/youtube]
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2011/10/prweb8912864.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Here's are the Battery Electric Zero Turn riding mowers "Green Mowchine" using flooded lead acid batteries. There working on a commercial version for 2012 that will support battery swapping for all day operation in commercial use.
http://www.meangreenproducts.com/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Note the green lawn tools earn LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, earn LEED building points! So businesses or homeowners getting LEED ratings have a solid incentive to use electric lawn tools.
http://www.cleanairlawncare.com/press_9.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Stihl has a line of 36 Volt Lithium Ion tools:
STIHL Lithium-Ion Products
http://www.stihlusa.com/lithiumion/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.stihlusa.com/trimmers/FSA65.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.stihlusa.com/trimmers/FSA85.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.stihlusa.com/blowers/BGA85.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.stihlusa.com/hedgetrimmers/HSA65.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.stihlusa.com/chainsaws/MSA160.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
STIHL LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES AND CHARGERS
http://www.stihlusa.com/Li-Ion/accessories.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Clean Air Lawn Care is a lawn care service with dozen of franchises across the US, many of them in California. Looks like quite a few opportunities to start a franchise also.
CLEAN AIR LAWN CARE CLEAN, QUIET & ORGANIC
We now offer an all-natural, organic treatment & fertilization program to ensure your yard is beautiful and safe for your children, pets, & waterways
We use clean, electric equipment powered by renewable energy
•Electric mowers emit 3,300 times less hydrocarbons, 5,000 times less CO, one-fifth as much NOx as gas lawn mowers.
•Emissions are reduced to zero when run on renewable energy
•Electric equipment is 50 - 70% quieter than gas-powered lawn equipment
Our electric equipment is charged using solar panels mounted on our trucks and wind energy powering our shops
We run our larger mowers on locally produced biofuels
All of our greenhouse gas emissions are offset by wind power and carbon offsets purchased from Carbonfund.org to ensure our entire operation is carbon-neutral
http://www.cleanairlawncare.com/sust_what.html
