Page 3 - OPE Nov 21-Feb 22
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Pros talk barriers to battery
OUTDOOR POWER
PROFESSIONALS continue to investigate how to move away from the current reliance on petrol-driven outdoor power equipment.
And with good reason: apart from simply wishing to be good global citizens, sustainable practices and environmental management may account for as much as 45% of local government tender attributes!
Easier said than done however, it remains a more complex issue than simply adopting battery tools.
In this respect it was interesting to read an article by Carla Reinke, Recreational Services’ Marketing & Communications Manager, in Australasian Parks & Leisure magazine’s Spring 2021 edition.
Highlighting the cost of swapping to electric tools, and voicing the opinion that the performance of electric isn’t
yet on a par with petrol-powered tools, there is also a fundamental issue around how we obtain the lithium component of
today’s Li-ion batteries.
Carla Reinke says in the article: “For
an industry heavily reliant on fossil fuels, reducing emission can be very costly while phasing out internal combustion engines for electric alternatives.”
Cost apart, she says, “electric alternatives are not yet the equivalent of or don’t offer the same level of efficacy compared to traditional alternatives.”
On top of which, the mining of lithium “has put question marks around the true cost to the environment of lithium batteries.”
With Recreational Services providing services to 13 councils across 11,000+ parks nationwide, if the organisation is not alone in thinking like this, there is clearly much work to be done around professionals’ attitudes towards battery- driven outdoor power equipment.
Read the whole article using the shortened URL below.
https://bit.ly/3qAWOim
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OUTDOOR POWER ISSUES
What next
for the supply
chain?
THE USE OF THE word “supply chain” has proliferated over the last 2+ years, thanks to substantial
delays and increased costs in getting products and components from one country to another.
And, as with all things home related, with uber-elevated demand for many outdoor power products, particularly from the lifestyle and DIY markets, it is clear that while it’s not a “perfect storm” for the outdoor power sector, the “unprecedented” issues affecting the global supply chain are certainly making life interesting.
Talking to a range of local suppliers of major brands for our two feature articles, it’s also clear that issues of supply are ongoing.
In our ZTR mower feature (page 07) for example, Husqvarna’s Steve Middleton for one admits “there’s no great consistency with supply and delivery at the moment”, before qualifying that much longer
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Demand is not the issue, agrees Gavin Lowndes at Steelfort, who says: “Getting orders is not the problem at the moment,” quickly adding that although a massive shipment was about to arrive, as much
as three quarters of the consignment had already been allocated.
Masport’s Steve Huddleston throws into this mix the additional fact that an extraordinarily high level of US domestic demand for outdoor power means getting products here can be “very difficult”.
With the US market alone forecast to represent 64% of global outdoor power sales growth over the next 4-5 years, and with ongoing delays and now shortages of chips for controllers, of OEM components, even engines and transmissions, it’s clear that all of the above will remain with us for some time to come. n
more at www. facebook.com/NZOPEmagazine
NOVEMBER 2021-FEBRUARY 2022 NZ OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT 03
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