Cramer’s new battery technology for the industry

Clean technologies are transforming landscape maintenance Cramer’s new battery technology is improving environmental standards

Hakan Thorselius Managing Director, Cramer International

Despite a lot of buzz and millions of dollars spent on marketing campaigns by companies to promote their ‘green environmentally friendly’ practices, the majority of machinery still used in the professional landscape industry is old fashioned and normally operated by petrol. These machines are noisy, dirty and costly to maintain. They also often cause logistical problems as petrol has to be transported to the work site and there are difficulties in finding spare parts for their old, outdated technology. More importantly, petrol machines are bad for worker’s health, the economy of the landscaper, and a nuisance and disturbance to the general public.

However, we no longer need to use these products according to Hakan Thorselius, the Managing Director of Cramer International in Dubai. Thorselius explains that these petrol machines can now easily be exchanged for battery operated Cramer 82V products, which are more powerful than petrol and much better for the environment, not least the landscapers themselves.

Mr. Thorselius has 20 years of experience in executing sales and marketing strategies in the Middle East, he told Landscape ME his aim is to transform and improve the landscape maintenance sector across the region by encouraging companies to switch to high powered battery equipment.

When did your company first set up business in the region? We established Cramer in the UAE in 2018 but as a global company we are over 200 years old. We are rapidly expanding in this region as customers discover the benefits of our products and the aftercare support we can offer. All of your products use rechargeable battery technology. How does this create a greener future for the company? If you are looking into the total lifecycle analysis of making a petrol machine compared to an electrical machine, we can see significant CO2 savings. By using electricity instead of petrol, we are helping the environment.

Inside the product there are also less components compared to a petrol machine, which also gives a lower CO2 footprint, but also gives less problems with maintenance and spare parts.

We would also argue that a greener future includes noise reduction. The customers are much less disturbed by our machines. In fact, the landscape workers can start several hours earlier in the morning to work in the gated communities without disturbing the residents.

Why is Cramer a leader in the manufacturing landscape industry since 1835? What’s been key to the company’s success? Since Cramer was founded back in 1835, we have aimed to become the leading manufacturer within professional gardening equipment, hence delivering the highest quality for professional applications. Our partnership with Globe Group is the next step towards a successful future in professional gardening. Globe Group has affiliates all over the world, with skills ranging from research and development to production. This enables us to control every bit of the supply chain, ensuring great efficiency, quality and the capacity to produce suitable equipment for a professional landscaper.

For our professional battery range we have a development office in Sweden where we have around 40 engineers specialized on developing only professional products, that is why we today are the only ones able to offer the very powerful 82V range specially designed for professional use.

In addition to that we have over 500 engineers working on battery systems and consumer products which supports the professional team in Sweden and Germany.

Which products are your best sellers in this part of the world? We focus on hedge trimmers, brush cutters, chainsaws, pole hedger, pole saws but also robotic lawn mowers as a new product launch in 2020.

What are the main challenges of doing business in the current Middle East market? Customers do not understand yet that the battery powered Cramer 82V outperforms petrol and is in fact more powerful. Some customers think that because they are not loud and noisy they are not powerful.

Will you release any new products this year? We have a new Robotic program that we are launching which will revolutionize the way you maintain certain lawn areas. We can program it so grass cutting can be done during night if it is preferred by the customer.

All our Robotics follow the European safety standards, so they will immediately turn off if they are lifted up from the ground for example. We have sold thousands of robotics in Europe and they are loved, as pets, by our customers there. We think the GCC is a perfect place for new technology and a place to push for a greener way of life through technology.

What benefits do professional landscapers who use your products receive? Product and battery warranty 1 year plus considerable cost savings using 82V Cramer versus petrol products. There is much less maintenance, so no fuel filters, no spark plugs, no air filters etc. This is a considerable cost saving. As a petrol engine has up to one thousand moving parts, you will need a lot of spare parts to keep it running, it is much less in an electrical engine run on battery power and here the landscaper will have considerable savings.

What other steps is the company taking to reduce their carbon output? We’re currently investigating how we can improve the recycling process of our batteries. Recycling basic substances such as lithium and cobalt would enable us to save even more environment resources in the future.

What does the future for this sector in the Middle East look like? We think that petrol products in this sector will be banned by law very soon, as there is no longer a reason to use this outdated technology.

We already see signs of this in both Europe and the US, where cities are demanding only battery products to be used in the maintenance of public spaces. This regulation is rapidly spreading.

Even in the UAE we see some gated communities and hotels, by their own accord making this demand on their landscapers. We believe that rulers in the GCC countries which are highly developed will make this decision, to go only with battery products, to improve the environment for the citizens.