Honda Automobile dealers will have to wait a little longer for a self-driving EV that seriously worry Tesla or GM – but Honda Power Equipment dealers are playing in a multibillion market, too, and they have an advanced, autonomous, and all-electric vehicle arriving right now.
Honda began production of the all-new, all-electric ProZision Autonomous ZTR (first shown as a concept back in 2023) at its 40-year-old US Power Equipment factory in North Carolina back in January. The high-tech land management tool is finally starting to reach dealers as I type this, with Honda aiming the $33,000 AI mower squarely at the heart of a two billion dollar domestic lawnmower market.
The new ProZision Autonomous promises landscapers the ability to drive a property one time, “teaching” the mower the route as they go. From there, Honda’s software optimizes the path before the machine heads back out on its own, relying on a comprehensive suite of GPS positioning, LiDAR, radar, and a 360-degree visual sensors to reproduce the trainers’ cutting path with an astonishing 3 cm (~1.25″) of accuracy.
And the timing couldn’t be better for landscapers and land managers facing labor shortages in an increasingly tight labor market. At the same time, Honda’s commercial customers are increasingly demanding quieter, cleaner equipment, with more than 100 US.cities and counties already adopting restrictions or outright bans on gas-powered landscaping equipment – and many more enforcing strict noise ordinances that are, effectively, forcing contractors to consider battery power.
The new ProZision address both the labor and regulatory concerns. “The ProZision Autonomous was developed to help reduce various burdens on landscaping businesses facing challenges such as an aging and workforce shortages,” explains Minoru Kato, General Manager of Motorcycle and Power Products Operations at Honda Power Equipment. “Moving forward, Honda will continue to contribute to improving the quality of people’s work and daily lives through technological innovation that enables Honda to meet ever-changing market needs, while also enhancing its lineup of electrified products toward the realization of carbon neutrality by 2050.”
The thing, itself
The mowers themselves (available with 54″ and 60″ cutting decks) are built for professional landscapers’ needs, with power coming from a 48V battery system and driving five individual brushless electric motors — a setup that’s designed to deliver high torque and longer runtimes as the industry moves away from noisy and increasingly regulated gas engines.
A transition, by the way, that Honda Power Equipment seems to be fully embracing. “Technology is transforming products across Honda, and our new battery-powered lawn mowers are no different,” said Mark Kohls, vice president of Honda Power Sports & Products, American Honda. “Our battery-powered Honda ProZision Zero-Turn Radius lawn mowers deliver zero emission, cost-effective turf care solutions for a wide variety of customers, conditions, and commercial applications.”
Pricing for Honda’s ProZision ZTR family of commercial mowers starts at $32,999, and may be eligible for local utility and government tax incentives (check with your local dealer).
SOURCE | IMAGES: Honda.
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