Electric lawnmower turns golf course even greener, cleaner

A partnership between two electric cooperatives and a Minnesota golf course is helping to showcase how electric technology used in new ways can function in the real world.

Stearns Electric Association teamed up with its wholesale power provider, Great River Energy, and Mean Green Electric Mowers last summer to lease an electric lawnmower to Lynx National Golf Course in Sauk Centre, Minnesota, as part of a pilot project. Their goal was to raise awareness of the availability of the technology and collect data to improve future performance.

“As electric vehicles and equipment become more popular, we are committed to learning more about the different options available to our member-consumers,” said John Pantzke, business development representative at Stearns Electric Association. “Through this pilot project, we tracked the weekly hours and energy used, charge time and user experience.”

Once Tim Hinnenkamp, the owner of Lynx National Golf Course, heard there was “no catch” to participating, he was on board for what would be the first project of its kind for the lawn mower manufacturer. While a departure from the typical diesel-powered mower, Mean Green’s EVO model offers comparable specs in addition to several unique benefits.

It can mow a 74-inch cut at up to 13 miles per hour for eight hours and has power similar to a 40-horsepower diesel motor. And like electric vehicles, a lower cost of maintenance is associated with its operation.

“Maintenance on it was slim to none. Every evening we blow off the grass and plug it in to charge. We sharpened the blades only once this summer compared to a diesel machine, you’re constantly greasing or changing oil and jet hydraulic hoses that will go out over time. And if oil leaks onto the course, it’ll kill the grass. With the electric mower, you won’t have that.”

— Tim Hinnenkamp, owner of Lynx National Golf Course

Other savings realized by the golf course during the pilot project included the cost to “fuel” the mower. Hinnenkamp estimated the course’s diesel machines use 1 gallon per hour to mow at a price of approximately $4 per gallon.

Through data collection as part of the pilot project, Stearns Electric Association reports the average cost to charge the all-electric EVO mower was $0.23 per hour. For the month of June, for example, the golf course spent $15.76 for the approximately 70 hours the mower was used. Pantzke noted the EVO mower charges during off-peak hours, which helps to bring down the cost of electricity.

User experience with the mower was also taken into consideration. Hinnenkamp said some members of the golf course were skeptical at first about how well — and for how many hours — the machine could operate. He said they were “astonished” at how quietly the EVO mower worked, which is a plus for golfers playing on the course.

As for the employees who were using the new electric mower, Hinnenkamp said they were about “50/50 on liking and disliking it.”

“They liked the speed, rate of cut and the cut hours, but they did not like that there was no floating deck or rollers on it because at the golf course they like the striped look [of the grass],” he said. “Put a floating deck and rollers on it and I’ll buy one tomorrow.”