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Segway’s First Robotic Lawnmower Uses GPS To Stay in Your Yard
Since building a brand on self-balancing personal transportation devices, Segway has expanded its consumer product range to include e-scooters, go-karts and now, autonomous mowers.
The Segway Navimow is like a Roomba for your lawn, except it's different than most other robotic vacuums and mowers currently sold in one key way. Reports say that instead of requiring installation of a physical or a virtual boundary, the device uses GPS to stay on "precise position and systematic mowing…
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Stanley Black & Decker To Purchase Cub Cadet Maker and Excel
Stanley Black & Decker has announced plans to buy the remaining 80% of MTD Holdings Inc.’s stock for $1.6 billion in cash after previously buying a 20% stake in 2019.
In addition to lawn tractors such as the Cub Cadet, MTD also makes push lawn mowers, snow blowers, robotic lawn mowers, outdoor power equipment and garden tools.
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Briggs & Stratton Acquires SimpliPhi Power
Briggs & Stratton has acquired SimpliPhi Power, a battery manufacturer whose technology can be found in many microgrids. Briggs & Stratton plans to speed its growth into the energy storage market through the acquisition.
SimpliPhi manufactures ferrous phosphate batteries, management technology systems and plug-and-play power packs for residential, commercial and industrial customers.
SimpliPhi Power started in the movie business, making battery packs and lights. The company…
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Powersports Recreational Equipment Update
EDITOR’S NOTE. Power Systems Research tracks the global trends powersports recreational equipment, especially the electrification of these units. This is one of a series of reports on these trends.
Michael Aistrup The first LiveWire branded motorcycle is scheduled to launch on July…
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NA Powersports EV Update
Read the complete report in April PowerTALK™ News
EDITOR’S NOTE. Power Systems Research tracks the global trend of electrification of industrial equipment. This is one of a series of reports on these trends.
Michael Aistrup Polaris INDUSTRIES, Minneapolis, is planning to debut a new electric Ranger utility side-by-side in December 2021. The Ranger will be the first electric vehicle Polaris has developed through their partnership with Zero Motorcycles.
The electric Ranger is the first product in Polaris’s long-term plan to accelerate its leadership in powersports electrification. Production will take place in Polaris’s Huntsville, AL facility.
Bombardier Recreational Products Inc. (BRP), which owns popular brands such as Can-Am, Rotax, Sea-Doo and Ski-Doo, plans to offer electric models in each of its product lines by the end of 2026. The company is investing $300 million in product development and production facilities.
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NA Electric Motorcycle Segment Growing
Michael Aistrup Motorcycling in America is changing as industry leaders and new technology competitors are trying to attract newer/younger riders who want something different from Harley-Davidson’s big cruisers or screaming Japanese and European performance bikes.
The changes are in response to younger riders who are attracted to the efficiency and fun of two-wheel travel associated with e-motorcycles, while older riders are losing interest, or simply becoming unable to ride any longer.
At present, e-motorcycles remain a niche market. Riders are typically city dwellers in their early 40s–slightly younger than the average age of a U.S. motorcycle rider, which is 47, according to the Motorcycle Industry Council’s U.S. Motorcycle Owner Survey — and uses the bike to commute.
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Powersports Segment Growth Ignores COVID-19
Michael Aistrup While much of the North American economy slowed to a crawl after COVID-19 shutdowns in 2020, the powersports industry posted significant growth. Many people, weary of staying at home, found a cure for cabin fever while riding an off-road vehicle or experiencing socially distant spaces on trails. By all indications, the sales increase in powersports equipment has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise grim COVID-19 economy.
According to Jeremy Jansen, senior vice president of Wells Fargo Commercial Banking’s distribution financing business, “What started out as a slight uptick has just taken off to record sales levels,” he said. “Dirt bikes, ATVs, side by sides, personal transport vehicles — everything in the book is retailing well above prior year.” After plummeting briefly in mid-March amid the initial shutdown, powersports sales skyrocketed in the ensuing months.
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Market Updates: PowerSports, Lawn & Garden and Marine
New Powerboat Retail Sales Up 8%
Michael Aistrup Data from the National Marine Manufacturers Association shows August was another strong month for new powerboat retail sales, which were up 8% year to date on a seasonally adjusted basis compared to a year ago.
New power boat retail sales did slowed in August following increases in the early summer months. Total sales were down 13 percent compared to July, while sales are still strong with increases across all major categories, year to date. Sales of saltwater fishing boats, tow boats, cruisers and yachts each had double-digit growth ranging from 11 percent to 15 percent, compared to 2019. PSR
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Robotic Lawn Mower Industry Expected To Reach $1.3 Billion in 2020
There’s nothing like the look and smell of freshly cut grass, but for an increasing number, mowing the lawn as become an unpleasant experience and a waste of time. Some home owners spend hours every week doing the work while others are investing in a robot lawn mower to do the work.
A robotic lawn mower is an autonomous robot used to cut lawn grass. A typical robotic lawn mower (in particular earlier generation models) requires the user to set up a border wire around the lawn that defines the area to be mowed. The robot uses this wire to locate the boundary of the area to be trimmed and in some cases to locate a recharging dock. Robotic mowers are capable of maintaining up to 30,000 m2 (320,000 sq ft) of grass.
Think of robot lawn mowers as Roombas, but for lawns.
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Electric Boats Gain Industry Share
There seems little doubt that electric powered boats will grow as the fast-improving technology trickles down from the automotive industry, which is driving battery technology, to the marine engine industry.
Michael Aistrup Today the electric boat has become a $4.5 billion global marine industry segment, and a report by IDTechEx shows that the market for hybrid and pure electric boats will rise significantly to over $20 billion worldwide by 2027.
Brushless permanent magnet electric motors and advances in lithium ion battery technology have allowed leaps to be made in the rush to marine electric. Lithium-ion batteries are half as heavy as lead-acid batteries and last three times as long, and advances in their effectiveness and stability have been significant.
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