Switch to battery: why it’s worth making the change
Battery power tools offer various advantages in professional use at gardening and landscaping business Lileo Jardins. Find out why it’s worth making the change today.
05.09.2024
Overview: switching to battery
- More and more professionals are switching their tool fleets to battery
- The advantages of going battery are clear on-site and on paper
- Accelerated switch to battery facilitated by legislative push, for instance by the Green Deal and CARB law
- The STIHL AP-System meets professional requirements in all areas
- Power tool categories for all areas of application make switchover easy
Lileo Jardins switches to battery
Based in the Chambéry metropolitan area in the French region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, the eight employees of gardening and landscaping company Lileo Jardins do their work with battery power tools – and are enthusiastic about the benefits of them in everyday garden, landscape and tree maintenance.
Managing Director Julien Ferraris made the switch to battery tools in stages. On the grounds of electric engines’ higher efficiency and with a view to saving on fuel costs, Ferraris equipped the first team with battery tools in 2019. Today, all Lileo Jardins teams work with battery power tools. Around 85 percent of the tool fleet is electrically powered.
Advanced battery power makes professional work easier.
Initial scepticism about the performance and durability of the batteries was quickly overcome, as it became evident that advanced battery power tools are certainly also suitable for professional requirements. Julien Loquatelli, landscape gardener at Lileo Jardins, experiences no difficulties or limitations from using battery power tools.
On the contrary in fact: working with them makes the advantages of battery power clear. The quiet, low-vibration and emissions-free power tools make work more comfortable both for employees and people in the vicinity.
What professionals want
Professionals identify seven essential requirements that they need battery power tools to meet.
Long battery life
The longer a battery lasts, the fewer batteries – and fewer battery changes – are needed during work. So runtime is a key factor for professionals. STIHL offers the ideal battery for every task. From hedge trimmers to leaf blowers, it is possible to use all our battery power tools continuously and for extended periods.
Simply powerful: STIHL batteries for professionals
High-quality batteries
The quality of the batteries used is crucial in the professional context. STIHL develops and manufactures its own professional batteries, among other things, directly in-house at its headquarters in Waiblingen. A look behind the scenes at our battery production illuminates how we achieve tried-and-tested STIHL quality in our professional batteries.
Long service life
The number of charging cycles is of central importance for professional users. Thanks to new power laminate technology, the STIHL AP 500 S battery offers twice as many possible charging cycles compared to previous STIHL batteries.
Battery power tools have to be robust and powerful.
Durability
Batteries and battery power tools must be durable enough to withstand intensive use in landscape, garden and tree maintenance, day after day. STIHL aligns all components with this expectation and subjects them to extensive tests during production.
Power for the task at hand
To make the switch to battery, professionals have to be confident their new battery-powered tools can provide the necessary power for the tasks they need to tackle. With its recommended battery tool and battery combinations, STIHL also delivers real professional power in the battery sector.
One system for all battery power tools
Having different connections for different tools makes work more complicated. Professional users need a simple solution tailored to their needs. At STIHL, that professional solution is the AP-System.
Worldwide efforts to accelerate the conversion to battery
Lileo Jardins switched its fleet to battery tools at an early stage, which means it is already on track to meet the future legal requirements which will imminently take effect. Because there are already worldwide efforts in motion to accelerate the changeover to battery.
European Commission’s Green Deal
In Europe, the European Commission is working on the “Green Deal”. The overall goal of the planned measures is to reduce CO2 emissions by 55 percent by 2030 and to zero by 2050.
Among other actions, the RED II Renewable Energy Directive will be revised with the aim of increasing the proportion of renewable energies in the EU energy mix to 40 percent. This will be achieved by means of electrification as well as renewably sourced energy and fuels.
Furthermore, using conventional fuels is set to become significantly more expensive in the future. These planned activities for CO2 reduction will also accelerate the switchover to battery on economic grounds.
California: switch to battery from 2024
In California, the CARB law will come into force on 1 January 2024. Among other things, this legislation states that newly manufactured small engines – such as those found in leaf blowers, lawn mowers and other power tools – must be emissions-free. The intention is to significantly reduce smog pollution in California.
For gardening and landscaping companies in the state, it means that from 2024 all new power tools available to buy will be battery. The transition to battery or emissions-free equipment is being promoted, and there are incentives available to boost purchasing of emissions-free equipment.
STIHL AP: high-performance battery system for professionals
The STIHL AP-System makes it easy to switch to battery power – and makes it worthwhile too, by delivering real professional power for everyday work in landscape, garden and tree maintenance as well as local authority operations.
Endurance and power: battery tools from the STIHL AP-System
STIHL battery power tools are available for every area of application. These include:
- Battery blowers
- Battery brushcutters
- Battery hedge trimmers
- Battery lawn mowers
- Battery chainsaws
- Battery pole pruners
- Battery KombiEngines
- Battery sweeping machines
- Battery cut-off machines
Practical accessories usefully extend the AP-System. These include ergonomic backpack batteries such as the STIHL AR 3000 L, a battery belt with connection cable, comfortable carrying systems and battery boxes to support maximum working flexibility.
Complete flexibility: accessories in the AP-System
Wide range of batteries and innovative charging solutions
Powerful, long-lasting batteries and innovative charging solutions ensure that power is reliably available even during long periods of work.
Professionals can quickly and easily find out which batteries and charging solutions are best suited to their own business using the STIHL battery advisor. This online tool identifies the optimal equipment for your tasks and your company in just a few steps.
Digital fleet management with precise analysis
The STIHL connected digital tool makes it possible to continuously and reliably keep an eye on the status and location of all power tools in your fleet. Currently, networking is also possible for the AR 2000/3000 L backpack batteries and the AP 500 S battery. All other power tools in the fleet can be integrated by adding a Smart Connector 2 A. This takes digital fleet management to the next level thanks to simple installation, reliable recording of operational time and engine speeds, as well as even more precise reporting. With digital fleet management via STIHL connected, professionals now and in the future can have control over their entire tool fleet.
