March 8, 2008 It's a green solution for a green problem. Husqvarna has unveiled a new version of its Automower™ that not only allows you to maintain a neatly trimmed lawn without lifting a finger, but achieves it using combination of solar power and electricity. Like its fully-electric predecessor, the Automower Solar Hybrid works by cutting the grass with small blades in an irregular pattern within an area defined by a pre-laid boundary cable that ensures the mower wont turn your flowering garden beds into mulch. According to Husqvarna the new Automower only uses the energy of a standard light bulb, and to ensure it remains green even at the end of its life-span, it is constructed from 90% recyclable material.
The Automower can also self-navigate to its charging/base station using the boundary cable as a guide and the use of small blades combined with the irregular cutting pattern provides a fine mulch that acts as a lawn fertilizer and eliminates the need for raking. The Automower is also weather proof and features an in-built theft protection system that requires a personal 4-digit code to be entered before the unit will operate.
"This will take Automower to the next level with higher performance and further reduced environmental impact” says Bengt Andersson, CEO Husqvarna Group. He continues, “90% of Automower is recyclable, it eliminates the need for fertilizers, it is almost silent, has no exhaust emissions at all and delivers perfect results every time without you having to lift a finger.”
Husqvarna has been producing robotic lawnmowers since 1995 and around 50,000 of the quiet, emission-free garden robots are already in use.
Automower Solar Hybrid has been designed at the Husqvarna global design centre in Sweden and is manufactured in Aycliffe, England. There's no definite pricing on the new model yet but as an indication of what to expect, the current Automower costs between €1500 and €2500.
For further reading see the Automower site.
