Electrifying the Australian Backyard
SOURCE: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/electrifying-australian-backyard-angus-m-robinson-/
Angus M Robinson
Managing Director, Leisure Solutions Pty Ltd
February 16, 2020
After 15+ years of worthy service, my Australian made lawnmower (fitted with the trusty Briggs & Stratton 4 stroke engine) has seen its last days and has just been replaced with a 82V electric mower (fitted with a Briggs and Stratton motor) - a logical decision on two counts - along with our hybrid motor vehicle another individual contribution to reducing emissions and secondly, another means of using electricity generated from our solar panel array.
Several observations are worth making. The Victa electric mower was only available through Bunnings whereas all of the hardware and mower outlets (include Victa Gold Star agents) did not carry this product in stock - a signal that the big hardware chains are well ahead of the pack in meeting emerging customer needs in joining the new energy revolution, and perhaps a sign that these small retail outlets will continue to struggle to compete with the big retailers.
In looking at the options available to the customer, it was pointed out that the smart move was to buy a mower with the same battery charging system that the customer might already own for power tools. Two considerations came to mind, firstly not a good idea if the electric mower a customer had selected was a better option (on various counts) than the product offered by the power tool manufacturer, and secondly the failure of manufacturers to work towards the establishment of industry standards that would allow interchangeability between product ranges using shared battery charging systems. Surely this factor should be taken into account as a means of growing the overall market rather than competing with proprietary battery charging systems. Notwithstanding this consideration, it is noted that Victa now manufacture a range of outdoor gardening appliances that use a common battery charging system.
In June 2008 Victa Lawncare was sold to Briggs & Stratton Australia Pty. Ltd., part of the U.S. based Briggs & Stratton Corporation, the world’s largest small engine manufacturer and major supplier of engines to Victa. The vast majority of Victa’s mower products continue to be assembled at the company’s Moorebank NSW head office using local and imported components.
Interesting to note that Briggs & Stratton (the bastion of 4 stroke petrol engines) has moved quickly from making legacy products into servicing products for the new energy revolution, a move that was not adopted by Kodak, a US company which, of course, elected not to go digital and to stick with analogue film based products.
Finally, in opening the container in which the Victa mower was packaged, it was noted with regret that whilst it was designed in Australia, it was clearly identified as being made in China; just like the installed Hills hoist, and the recently purchased Fisher and Paykel washing machine! Aussie iconic brands just keep moving offshore - a testament to the continuing decline of the Australian manufacturing industry, and a salient reminder of Australia's increasing reliance on imported products, particularly from China.
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Managing Director, Leisure Solutions Pty Ltd