Pricey new electric riding mower should reap dividends for Waynesville

May 4—Public works crews in Waynesville gathered last week for a show-and-tell of the town's new $27,500 Stihl electric riding mower.

When Waynesville's three-man parks and rec mowing crew was in the market for a new mower, town leaders opted for an electric version as part of their green initiative to reduce the town's carbon footprint.

The electric mower is a nicer ride than the gas mowers. But the million-dollar question is how long it will take the town to recoup the higher price tag in savings on gas.

The electric mower was $12,000 more than a gas counterpart, minus a $7,500 federal green energy credit — substantially reducing the cost differential out of the gate.

Since the new mower arrived a couple of weeks ago, town worker Tom Edwards has been snagging the keys every morning.

"It's expensive, but it's really nice. I don't know if it's justified or not," he said. That decision is above his pay grade, he quipped.

But here's what the math shows.

Edwards' old gas John Deere mower took about 30 gallons of gas a week, eight months out of the year. That's a total of roughly 1,000 gallons of gas a year.

Those 1,000 gallons of gas will now be replaced with far cheaper electricity — especially since the town has its own electric utility and gets power at a wholesale rate.

The verdict? Within two years the higher cost of the electric mower will pay for itself, and the town will then realize savings for the remainder of the mower's life.

"Payback should be less than two years, and then the town starts saving $2,750 a year on fuel plus the cost of maintenance," said William Hite, a green energy advocate who sits on the town's Environmental Sustainability Board.

In the meantime, town mowing crews benefit from a nicer ride. Waynesville's three-man outside maintenance crew has about 70 acres of mowing to keep up with between all the town's parks. They spend up to six hours a day sitting on a mower.

"You don't have quite the vibration and noise," said Michael Noland, supervisor of outside maintenance. "It turns and handles just a little better than gas. The mobility is really good."

It also has more power, capable of running 16 miles an hour, but they wouldn't mow that fast, he said.

The mower can run eight hours on a full charge. It simply has to be plugged in each afternoon, and it's ready to roll the next morning. The electric battery holds a charge indefinitely, no matter how long it sits idle after being charged up.

Stihl corporate representatives made the trip to Waynesville last week to show off the mower and its bells and whistles, from a tour under the hood to the fancy digital dashboard.

The town of Waynesville sourced the mower from Bypass Power and Equipment, a local Waynesville company.

"It's brand new. When we got the order from the town, we didn't even have a way to order it and had to call our representative because it wasn't even in the system yet," said Matt McClure, general manager of Bypass Power.

Keith Ray, a member of the town's Environmental Sustainability Board, lauded the town for being a leader in the green energy movement.

"We need early adopters to get the technology in hand, test it out, and show everyone else how well it works," Ray said.

As for that million-dollar question?

"We believe the return on investment will be significant," Ray said. "We feel certain it will need less taxpayers' money to support the operation of electric equipment."