TECHNICAL
What next for landscape machinery?
D
uring the 2020 Budget the Government announced it was considering removing the entitlement to use rebated fuel from most sectors – including landscape maintenance and mowing machines – from April 2022 onwards, to incentivise the development and adoption of greener alternatives.
This statement represents a bitter pill to swallow for operators of dieselpowered equipment in the landscape industry, who are now required to run most machines on duty paid fuel whilst colleagues in the horticulture and agricultural sectors continue to benefit from the savings that use of rebated fuel provides.
For the Government to reach its objectives, it also needs to ensure that the tax system incentivises users of polluting fuels like diesel to improve the energy efficiency of their vehicles and machinery, invest in cleaner alternatives, or just use less fuel.
Easier said than done for the landscape industry.
A consultation document at the time advised:
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LANDSCAPE NEWS SUMMER 2022
For operators running ride-on mowers with diesel engines the only realistic option in terms of reducing environmental impact, adopting greener alternatives, and improving the energy efficiency of machinery - is currently to use less fuel.
The industry has invested in greener technology where possible; most landscape contractors make use of battery technology in hand-held landscape equipment such as blowers, hedge trimmers and brush cutters as well as running a fleet of hybrid and fully electric cars and vans for staff. Adoption of green technology for larger, ride-on equipment – the sort of equipment that uses an internal combustion engine – is a challenge for the industry; whilst a handful of manufacturers have released battery-powered pedestrian mowers, the industry has yet to see a batterypowered ride-on mower or tractor with the runtime to satisfy a busy landscape contractor.
