Published: Sunday, October 9, 2005
A nice, quiet ride with this mower
The battery-powered device will be revealed at a Kentucky trade show.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
BOARDMAN — Shawn Lawless is ready to unveil his latest battery-powered creation this week: an electric riding lawn mower.
It pivots quickly. It's quiet, doesn't pollute and can cut four acres on a single charge. Or, its battery can be used to run power tools.
"You can plug a lighting system in and have a backyard party without a generator," Lawless said.
The lawn and garden industry will have its first look at the mower next weekend at an international trade show in Louisville, Ky.
"This is something the industry hasn't seen before," said Brian Degitz of Central Power in Columbus, which distributes the Briggs & Stratton electric motor used by Lawless.
Degitz said he hasn't seen another company offer a riding mower with this much power and pivoting ability, known as a zero-turning radius.
Degitz said he's working to have the engine maker provide some support for the Lawless mower during the show.
"I know for a fact it'll get a lot of attention," Degitz said.
Lawless and his employees made the demonstration mower at the Boardman shop of the family company, Lawless Industries. They bought a standard mower deck, created a body and designed a battery system to power it.
Specialized market
As the mower moves along, the only sound is a quiet whirling of the mower blades.
Lawless said he's looking at a sales price of under $10,000, meaning he isn't targeting the average homeowner. His market includes resorts and retirement communities, where workers could cut around pools or buildings without disturbing guests and residents.
He also thinks the mower could be coming at the right time because he expects California to enact strict regulations on lawn mower emissions.
If the mower takes off, he plans to contract with a manufacturer to make the mowers.
He has created a Web site for the Zero Electric Mower at www.zeromow.com.
Lawless said one of the first questions people ask about the mower is if the batteries are powerful enough.
His racing experiences
To answer that, he points to his dragster.
For the past two years, Lawless Industries has been racing in Maryland and Florida at events that are designed for electric dragsters. So far, the company's car, which is driven by employee Mark Moore, has the third-fastest time in the world for a 240-volt vehicle.
"It's fun, and it shows people that electric motors are powerful," Lawless said.
The dragster, named Orange Juice, reached 120 mph as it completed a quarter-mile race in 10.8 seconds. It is one of only 16 electric vehicles to top 100 mph on a quarter-mile track, says the National Electric Drag Racing Association.
For the first time, however, Lawless Industries entered another vehicle in the Maryland race in June. It was a 1956 Nash Metropolitan that Lawless converted to an electric vehicle for his mother, Linda, to drive as her personal vehicle.
To Lawless' surprise, the "Electropolitan" set a world record in the class for 96-volt street vehicles. It completed the eighth-mile course in 14.2 seconds with a top speed of 42 mph. The driver was his mother.
"The first time she raced, she breaks a record," Lawless said with a laugh.
shilling@vindy.com
Sunday, October 9, 2005
The battery-powered device will be revealed at a Kentucky trade show.
By DON SHILLING
VINDICATOR BUSINESS EDITOR
BOARDMAN — Shawn Lawless is ready to unveil his latest battery-powered creation this week: an electric riding lawn mower.
It pivots quickly. It's quiet, doesn't pollute and can cut four acres on a single charge. Or, its battery can be used to run power tools.
"You can plug a lighting system in and have a backyard party without a generator," Lawless said.
The lawn and garden industry will have its first look at the mower next weekend at an international trade show in Louisville, Ky.
"This is something the industry hasn't seen before," said Brian Degitz of Central Power in Columbus, which distributes the Briggs & Stratton electric motor used by Lawless.
Degitz said he hasn't seen another company offer a riding mower with this much power and pivoting ability, known as a zero-turning radius.
Degitz said he's working to have the engine maker provide some support for the Lawless mower during the show.
"I know for a fact it'll get a lot of attention," Degitz said.
Lawless and his employees made the demonstration mower at the Boardman shop of the family company, Lawless Industries. They bought a standard mower deck, created a body and designed a battery system to power it.
Specialized market
As the mower moves along, the only sound is a quiet whirling of the mower blades.
Lawless said he's looking at a sales price of under $10,000, meaning he isn't targeting the average homeowner. His market includes resorts and retirement communities, where workers could cut around pools or buildings without disturbing guests and residents.
He also thinks the mower could be coming at the right time because he expects California to enact strict regulations on lawn mower emissions.
If the mower takes off, he plans to contract with a manufacturer to make the mowers.
He has created a Web site for the Zero Electric Mower at www.zeromow.com.
Lawless said one of the first questions people ask about the mower is if the batteries are powerful enough.
His racing experiences
To answer that, he points to his dragster.
For the past two years, Lawless Industries has been racing in Maryland and Florida at events that are designed for electric dragsters. So far, the company's car, which is driven by employee Mark Moore, has the third-fastest time in the world for a 240-volt vehicle.
"It's fun, and it shows people that electric motors are powerful," Lawless said.
The dragster, named Orange Juice, reached 120 mph as it completed a quarter-mile race in 10.8 seconds. It is one of only 16 electric vehicles to top 100 mph on a quarter-mile track, says the National Electric Drag Racing Association.
For the first time, however, Lawless Industries entered another vehicle in the Maryland race in June. It was a 1956 Nash Metropolitan that Lawless converted to an electric vehicle for his mother, Linda, to drive as her personal vehicle.
To Lawless' surprise, the "Electropolitan" set a world record in the class for 96-volt street vehicles. It completed the eighth-mile course in 14.2 seconds with a top speed of 42 mph. The driver was his mother.
"The first time she raced, she breaks a record," Lawless said with a laugh.
shilling@vindy.com
Sunday, October 9, 2005
Shawn Lawless is ready to unveil his latest battery-powered creation this week: an electric riding lawn mower.
It pivots...
