Electric lawn mowers are catching the imagination of a rapidly growing ‘environmentally-conscious’ demographic. Demand is also positively influenced by significant upgrades in battery power and precision cutting. On the coattails of these factors, global sales are likely to surpass 10 million units in 2019, equating a market value in the vicinity of US$ 9 Bn.
Demand for electric lawn mowers – subdued in the past due to low battery life and inappropriate mowing capacity – has been gaining ground at a quick pace. Lawn mower manufacturers have been quick to assess end-user demand, and the market has witnessed launch of several electric variants that can rival gasoline based variants for longevity and precision. However, the report finds that high price of electric lawn mowers continues to be a deterrent.
Sensing the needs of end-users, manufacturers have launched electric lawn mowers across a range of power capacities. 500-1800W electric lawn mowers continue to be the highest selling variant, with ‘up to 500W’ also emerging as a lucrative segment. The report projects ‘up to 500W’ electric lawn mowers to grow at a slightly higher rate vis-à-vis 500-1800W variants, however the latter will reign supreme – both in terms of volume and value throughout the assessment period.
Robotic electric lawn mowers are likely to witness impressive growth rates, albeit from a small base. Robotic electric lawn mowers are expensive, which has led to sales concentration among specific demographics. However, as manufacturers focus on reducing the overall price on the back of technological innovations, uptake is likely to grow at a brisk pace. Although robotic electric lawn mowers represent an emerging opportunity, ‘walk behind’ electric lawn mowers will remain the highest selling product throughout the assessment period. The dominance of this segment can be gauged from the fact that 80% of all electric lawn mowers sold in 2017 were ‘walk behinds’.
The report finds that consumers prefer to shop for electric lawn mowers in conventional retail stores, whereas online sales have started to complement demand. 70% of all electric lawn mower sales in 2017 were through conventional retail stores. Although sales through online stores are likely to grow at a slightly higher rate vis-à-vis online channels, the former will remain the pervasive sales channel throughout the forecast period.
Electric lawn mowers are used for both residential and commercial applications, however, their penetration has remained limited in the latter owing to the limitations in mowing large lawns. The report finds that although manufacturers have made upgrades to existing battery powers, gasoline electric mowers remain the preferred choice for large lawns. Demand from residential segment accounted for nearly 80% volume share of the market in 2017.
The report finds that the US is the largest electric lawn mower market globally. Adoption of these lawn mowers in the US is driven in part by broader shift towards electrification, and in part by increasing efforts by individuals to reduce carbon footprint. The lucrativeness of the US means that North America continues to be the most lucrative market for electric lawn mowers – both in terms of value and volume.