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Jun 9, 2009 11:00 AM
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What's one activity that hasn't yet been painted with the green brush? Mowing! Luckily we're more excited about the Husqvarna Panthera Leo's five motors than we are its recycled materials.
The practice of keeping a manicured grass lawn is possibly the least eco-friendly habit you have. Not only are you denying native flora and fauna its natural habitat, but you're importing water from remote locations to keep that lawn alive, spreading all sorts of nasty chemicals into the local water supply and food chain and trimming it with a nasty gas-powered mower and, if you're anything like us, a two-stroke trimmer.
The Panthera Leo is actually two ride-ons in one, combining features from Husqvarna's Rider and Zero-Turn. It uses three individually suspended cutting decks run by five brushless electric engines for a vast swath — 33" to 47" of variable cutting width — of perfectly controlled trim. Sensors are employed to analyze the condition of the lawn, recommending a speed and height through the LCD display monitor. The concept gets two hours of cutting time on the lithium-phosphate battery and then, unfortunately, requires overnight charging for the next two hours. Husqvarna says it could have something similar on-sale within five years.
The press release follows:
"Husqvarna Panthera Leo demonstrates our innovation capacity and ambition to develop high performing products with less environmental impact," says Magnus Yngen, President and CEO of Husqvarna.
Husqvarna Panthera Leo is a hybrid made up of two ride-on mowers, Rider and Zero-Turn. A battery that can be charged at any electrical outlet has replaced the traditional gas engine. Five powerful electrical motors partnered with a sound absorbing cutting deck, allow the Husqvarna Panthera Leo to glide effortlessly and silently across your lawn. The three individually suspended cutting decks enables this mower to mow smoothly over bumpier parts of your garden, avoiding lawn scalping. The cutting decks each have razor sharp blades for a close cut finish and can be controlled to suit wide or narrow lawns (from 85cm up to 120cm).
All functions are managed via paddles on the steering wheel. Via an LCD-display gardeners are told everything they need to know to achieve a perfect lawn, from how fast they are driving, cutting height, cutting width, remaining battery time, service needs and warns the user about objects that are too close. With the help of sensors, Husqvarna Panthera Leo can recommend the most suitable speed and cutting height for the perfect lawn.
Husqvarna is the leader in several areas in terms of products with reduced environmental impact. The Group's new engines comply with the strictest exhaust-emission criteria in the US and Europe.
Features* Equipped with zero-emission technology
* Produced from recycled materials
* Rechargeable Lithium-phosphate battery
* Plug-in product, charged at any electrical point
* Five brushless electrical engines, easy and clean to maintain
* Three separate cutters equipped with razor sharp blades
* Cutters individually suspended to glide smoothly over bumpy terrain and prevent lawn scalping
* Variable cutting width (85-120cm)
* Zero-turn functionality
* Lifting cutting deck (90 degrees)
* Ergonomic steering wheel
* Easy to control dashboard
* Cutting time 2 hours, overnight charging
* Detailed LCD display monitor (featuring cutting height, width of cutting deck, speed, service information, steep hill warning, objects that are too close)
[source: Husqvarna]
Send an email to Wes Siler, the author of this post, at wes@jalopnik.com.
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