LOS ANGELES — Cal State Los Angeles, located just a few miles east of downtown Los Angeles, recently exchanged all gas-powered equipment on its campus to an all-electric fleet, according to a story in the San Gabriel Valley Tribune. This includes Mean Green mowers as well as battery-powered, edgers, trimmers, and chain saws.
Mean Green Mowers, of Hamilton, Ohio, recently joined the Assn. for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, an organization that is dedicated to improvement of sustainable practices on higher education campuses.
According to the story, last October, the Southern California Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD) brought battery-electric lawn mowers to seven groups in San Bernardino County, including: Cal State San Bernardino, the city of San Bernardino, county of San Bernardino, San Bernardino International Airport and the Inland Empire 66ers baseball team. A total of 17 battery-powered lawn mowers e supplied by the anti-smog agency in order to persuade these groups to buy all-electric equipment.
Cal State L.A. also received a demonstration from the SCAQMD in January and decided to go 100% zero-emissions.
Richard Valenzuela, lead grounds worker at Cal State L.A., said it took some convincing for him and his workers to switch to battery-operated equipment. He said the electric machines have cut down on vibrations that made his hands numb hours later. He also no longer comes home smelling of gasoline, he said.
