Promising environmental benefits and improved efficiencies, the new electric mower introduced at Simpson Barracks has the capacity to cut 20 - 30 acres of grassy area on just a single battery charge.

Following a successful trial by Ventia's Defence Base Services (DBS) team in 2021, which demonstrated the electric mower's cutting quality was on par, if not better, than traditional diesel models, the mowers will gradually be introduced at some of our other DBS sites.

Using one fixed lithium battery that runs for up to eight hours on a single charge, the ride-on electric mower also delivers superior safety for operators compared to that offered by diesel mowers.

"There's no need to check fuel levels, decant fuel or transport it in containers from a petrol station back to the site," says Michael O'Meara, Operational Services Manager at Simpson Barracks.

After a day's work, you just plug the mower into the charger and it's ready to go the very next day. 

"It certainly doesn't require the same downtime for repairs as the older diesel mowers either."

A lower carbon footprint 

The electric mower's emissions-free status means that it has a low carbon footprint, plus impacts to air quality are eliminated for both operators and the community.

With low-noise engineering offering quieter operations, the electric mower promises improved environmental amenity for personnel at Simpson Barracks and other future roll-out sites.  

John Parisella, Project Director Defence Base Services South East, says that introducing sustainability initiatives and technologies to Australian Defence Force sites is a key priority for Ventia, as it strives to embed its Sustainability Strategy.

"We've been working to understand the full footprint of emissions from our operations. Transitioning to electric vehicle technology, where possible, is just one way we're reducing that footprint," John explains.  

As one of the largest essential services providers in Australia and New Zealand, clients expect our sustainability goals to align with their own. The Australian Defence Force is no exception.

^{Using one fixed lithium battery that runs for up to eight hours on a single charge, the ride-on electric mower delivers superior safety for operators compared to that offered by diesel mowers.}
 

The acceleration of technology 

Although electric vehicle technology isn't quite at the point where all mowers at Defence sites could become electric, the pace of change being driven by climate-related targets will likely see the equipment develop rapidly.   

Michael O'Meara says, "Although the new electric 'zero-turn' ride-on mower has one of the largest decks in its class, at 74 inches or almost 1.9 metres, this type of mower isn't suitable for all areas on Defence sites. Where broadacre mowing is required, such as at an airfield, you still need to use a larger 'winged' mower or tractor fitted with a 'slasher' to get the job done in a timely manner - and these use fuel."
 
There's no doubt though that sustainability investments are accelerating and electric mowers provide an impressive array of benefits. If these trends continue, mowers may well become exclusively electric across the diversity of models, which would be a welcome development.