John Deere unveils quieter, electric riding mowers
John Deere is joining other American legacy brands — like Ford and GM — in jumping into the electric market. The company has announced plans to expand its electric offerings, with entrants in both their personal and commercial mower lines.
For your garage, the company’s first electric zero-turn mower, the Z370R Electric ZTrak, is now available for preorder; it joins an electric lineup of green and fairway mowers, a utility rake (like this guy), and an electric version of the Gator utility vehicle aimed at the golf course and sports field industry.
John Deere is the latest legacy brand to jump into the electric market.
The ZTrak’s 58V, 3.2-kWh lithium-ion battery is chargeable using a standard outlet, Gizmodo reported, and Deere claims that it can mow around two acres on one charge.
Of course, that estimate comes with caveats: inclines, heavy attachments like mulchers, or having to chew through high or thick grass will likely drain the battery sooner. A large LCD screen allows users to keep tabs on their juice during mowing, and the battery comes with multiple settings to optimize life based on the conditions.
If you do run it all the way down, the mower has a “go home” mode, which turns off the blades and dips into a battery reserve to get you back to your charging station.
According to John Deere, the ZTrak has no engine noise or emissions, and shares its frame and mower deck — the part that covers the blades — with the company’s other, gas-powered models, and it can reach the same top forward traveling speed (a blistering 7 mph).
Deere touts lower maintenance requirements as a selling point; with no belts, oil changes, or fuel to worry about, it theoretically should be simpler to keep running.
As with all new things, the ZTrak comes with its own app, called MowerPlus. The app monitors battery charge and recent mowing patterns, using data from the mower’s on-board GPS, Gizmodo reported.
The company has announced plans to expand its electric offerings, with entrants in both their personal and commercial mower lines.
Joining their residential push is an equipment line for golf courses and other sports fields, which were announced at the 2023 Golf Course Superintendents Association of America Conference and Trade Show in Orlando.
In addition to zero emissions and easier maintenance, the commercial lines could help expand the operating window for ground crews where early morning or evening poses noise concerns, Golf Course Industry, a trade publication, noted.
Orders for commercial models open February 13, GCI reported.
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