Global Electric Lawn & Garden Equipment

Report Overview

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Global demand for electric lawn and garden equipment is forecast to increase 6.0% per year to $6.6 billion in 2025, driven by the ongoing transition from engine-driven equipment to battery-powered equipment in many segments. Battery-powered products will account for the vast majority of gains. Corded electric products, in contrast, are a mature technology and hold limited growth prospects.

Lawn Care Markets Elevated by Pandemic

Demand for electric lawn and garden equipment was at a high level in 2020, as the impact of lockdowns and other social distancing measures led to booming interest in DIY lawn care. This trend was particularly strong in the US and other high-income nations with established lawn care culture and large populations capable of working from home.

In 2020, demand for electric lawn and garden equipment began to rise in the spring and intensified in the latter part of the year. Elevated demand levels persisted well into 2021, and lawn and garden equipment producers face a healthy market environment heading into the 2022 season. However, there is some risk that rising widespread interest in DIY lawn care will prove to a relatively short-term trend once uncertainty caused by the pandemic subsides, and suppliers across the lawn and garden industry will be tasked with sustaining consumer interest in order to maintain high sales levels.

Battery Power Catching on in Larger Equipment

Battery power is already common in smaller consumer-grade equipment, such as string trimmers, and the relative maturity of such segments means that growth will be well below average as markets begin to mature. Instead, demand growth will be fueled by increasing use of battery power in larger equipment – such as riding mowers and professional-grade chainsaws – where battery technology has not yet been able to match engine-driven performance at a fully competitive price.

Battery technology continues to improve, and costs are expected to fall at the same time as performance improves in terms of power and run times. The latter factor is particularly important in order to capture growth in markets like forestry, where users may operate away from urban electricity infrastructure much of the time.

Robotic Mower Manufacturers Seeking to Penetrate New Markets

Robotic lawn mowers are one of the most important emerging segments of the electric lawn and garden equipment industry, and these products currently account for 45% of electric lawn mower demand. In particular, robotic mowers have achieved significant popularity and become an entrenched product in several European countries, most notably Sweden and Germany. Many other European countries have begun to see significant proliferation of robotic mowers, and strong growth is expected due to the demonstrated success of these products in neighboring countries with similar lawn care markets.

The US represents an even more attractive potential market, but significant efforts will be needed to establish robotic mowers in the country. Companies like Husqvarna have recently stepped up their efforts to sell robotic mowers in the US, but customer familiarity with these products remains low, and lack of awareness is a barrier to greater sales.

Historical Market Trends

Demand for electric lawn and garden equipment is impacted primarily by the health of the general economy and personal income levels, as well as by climate and weather patterns.

In the consumer market, which accounts for the majority of electric lawn and garden equipment usage, demand for these products is sensitive to fluctuations in:

• consumer spending
• housing completions
• residential lot size
• cultural preferences, including the presence of a lawn culture

Sales to commercial users are also impacted by trends in the economy overall as well as by commercial building construction, the popularity of leisure activities, and in consumer preferences for do-it-yourself (DIY) versus do-it-for-me (DIFM) lawn maintenance.

In addition to economic factors, demand for electric lawn and garden equipment can be significantly impacted by weather patterns and climate change. For example:

• Snow blowers see higher market penetration in regions with colder weather.
• Regions that experience less rainfall and/or see adoption of water-saving landscaping techniques, such as xeriscaping, are less likely to require electric lawn and garden equipment to maintain grass and plants.

Regional Trends

Demand by Region

Global demand for electric lawn and garden equipment is projected to rise 6.0% per year to $6.6 billion in 2025:

• North America is expected to account for the largest share of growth. Penetration of electric equipment in the region has lagged that in Western Europe, and there remains strong growth potential as the US and Canada catch up to other high-income nations.
• While market maturity will constrain the pace of gains to an extent, Western Europe will also achieve significant growth in electric lawn and garden equipment sales, in part due to strong penetration of robotic mowers in the region.
• North America and Western Europe will together account for 82% of demand, reflecting a combination of wealth and cultural preferences that drive high levels of demand for lawn care products.

Sales growth for electric lawn and garden equipment will be particularly rapid in industrializing countries in Central and South America and the Asia/Pacific and Africa/Mideast regions, spurred by economic development throughout these regions. Growth in Eastern Europe will be limited to an extent by a shrinking population that constrains economic growth prospects. However, the region will continue to hold significant demand for electric lawn and garden equipment, with battery-powered products holding sizable market shares in many EU countries.