For Greenworks CEO Yin Chen, the recent release of the Optimus family of mowers and handheld equipment represents the finish line of a decade-long marathon. This best-in-class, battery-powered commercial equipment platform is the culmination of a journey that began with a bold vision and a long history of innovation.
Based in Mooresville, North Carolina, Greenworks started its journey in 2004 with large, impractical, heavy lead-acid batteries. However, a significant breakthrough occurred in 2007 when Greenworks was the first to launch lithium-ion battery-powered equipment to the North American market. These early consumer-based products were a crucial first step for Greenworks, but Chen was not satisfied.
“We were the first organization launching a lot of battery products for the market back then, and the performance, on a scale of one to 10, was probably a one. And that performance was even marginal for DIY customers.”
Consistent improvement culminated in the introduction of 40-volt products around 2011. Greenworks began building a powerful battery ecosystem for the homeowner market, allowing a single battery to power both mowers and handheld equipment. This led to a turning point in 2016 when Greenworks launched its commercial division to adapt its technology for landscape professionals.
While the technology powering Greenworks’ line of commercial zero-turns and handheld equipment was an improvement, Chen believed there was still untapped potential.
“Back then, it was probably a four or five out of 10,” he says. “These products were not good enough. Looking back, we needed to keep improving to meet the expectations of our most demanding customers — the commercial landscape contractors.”
In 2021, inspired by Chen’s desire not just to match but beat gas performance, Greenworks went back to the drawing board. Chen tasked his engineers and designers with conducting a thorough review of Greenworks’ previous products, addressing every pain point and design mistake.
“We gathered all the design and engineering people from throughout Greenworks from around the world and connected them with the feedback gathered from the first eight to nine years,” he says. “We said, ‘OK, here are the problems. Here are all our mistakes. Here are all the pain points.’
“We didn’t want to launch (a product) that was just a step better than the previous generation,” Chen adds. “We wanted the best design possible.”
Brave, new world
This introspective reexamination led to a radical new design that focused on superior battery performance, motor control and chassis construction — the Optimus platform.
Greenworks drew inspiration from electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla, focusing on optimal battery placement for a lower center of gravity and extended runtime. According to Chen, this resulted in scrapping a trio of battery designs in the process.
“We had to challenge ourselves,” he says. “We threw away three battery designs, with each design costing me over $250,000. My engineers were crying, ‘That took us two months … Now we are delayed for two months .’ I said, ‘Is this the best possible design? If it is not the best possible design, then forget it.’”
Additionally, Chen says innovation required Greenworks engineers to change nearly 99 percent of components that would go into its battery-powered concept.
“We went back to the drawing board,” he says. “We said, ‘OK, let’s look at what the customers really want, and how do we get that to them.’ We started with the battery design and performance, the location of the battery and battery construction. Then we did that for the rest of the product design.”
Throughout the product development, Chen challenged Greenworks engineers — Is this the optimal battery design? Is this the optimal motor? Is this the optimal design for the chassis? Will it deliver optimal cutting performance? A recurring theme was emerging, he says.
“Optimus was so handy because it means ‘the best,’” he says.
Stepping up
The resulting Optimus Z line of zero-turn mowers, launched in March 2023, was a massive success, immediately hailed as a significant improvement over its predecessors, achieving gas-equivalent power with industry-leading improvements in runtime and efficiency.
“This was a 9.5 out of 10,” Chen says of the Optimus Z mowers. “It’s unbelievable.”
Beyond zero-turns, Greenworks extended the Optimus philosophy to walk-behind mowers and handheld equipment, focusing on a balance of power, durability and longer run time. Greenworks’ battery-powered products not only outperform gas-powered alternatives but are also more economical. These battery-powered tools are a game-changer for landscape and lawn care pros because they offer zero vibration, no fuel and no noise.
“We really challenged ourselves,” he says of developing the handheld and walk-behind tools. “Again, we wanted to have optimal performance in the motor, the controller, the gearbox, everything.”
However, Chen says a significant challenge remained: What happens when a landscape pro runs out of battery power on a jobsite? Greenworks’ solution was the Optimus Energy Cube, a portable charging system that can be carried in a trailer and recharge multiple batteries or a zero-turn mower on the go.
“Basically, you have the Energy Cube in your trailer,” he says. “It can recharge your zero turn if you run out of energy, or it can recharge your handheld batteries while you’re mowing. Then, in one hour, you can recharge 12 batteries.”
A true game-changer
In conjunction with Greenworks’ development of a comprehensive support infrastructure, including service centers, training programs, a spare parts supply chain and even financing options. Chen says Optimus is a game-changer for the professional landscape and lawn care industry.
Chen shared he recently reviewed feedback from landscape pros who have been using the Optimus line. One contractor commented that he appreciated the fact that he wasn’t exposed to two-cycle engine fumes all day, and that he doesn’t come home smelling of gasoline.
“Wow, we made his whole life better,” he says. “We’ve spent the last 10 years working toward being appreciated by the end user.
“This is all of our hard work, all of our efforts, and it’s all worthwhile because we are making people’s lives better,” Chen adds. “We’re making their jobs better. We’re making their clients love them better. So, it’s a win-win-win situation. They don’t have the maintenance, they don’t have the noise, and they don’t have the fumes.”
Chen explains that Greenworks is committed to helping landscape and lawn care companies improve their bottom lines by providing them with more productive, more reliable and more powerful tools that are also better for their employees and the environment. He believes that battery technology is finally at a point where it can provide all these benefits, making it an easy and profitable decision for professionals to switch.
“If you want to be the best, then you need to be carrying the best,” Chen says. “And that’s Optimus equipment in your trailer. We finally have a complete solution for landscape contractors that meets all of their expectations. This is what we’ve been working toward for the last 10 years.”
Zawacki is a Cleveland-based journalist and frequent LM contributor who has covered various aspects of the green, horticultural, sports turf and irrigation industries for the last 20 years.
