Over the past decade, there has been a sea of change in the Outdoor Power Equipment industry. Electric and Battery-Powered equipment (also known as non-gas) has steadily eroded unit share from gas-powered equipment. What changes are we seeing and what may be contributing to these changes? The market research experts at TraQline are here to unpack these changes in the Outdoor Power Equipment (OPE) industry. 

Electric and Battery-Powered OPE Market Growth

Non-Gas Powered OPE has grown significantly year-over-year for the past decade with non-gas powered products gaining the upper hand in 2017. This growth was seen across OPE categories, including walk-behind lawn mowers, chain saws, hedge trimmers, and more.

For both unit sales and dollar shares, Gas-Powered OPE has been losing share slowly but steadily since 2013, leading to significant year-over-year losses. Currently, Electric and Battery-Powered Outdoor Power Equipment make up 64 percent of the total OPE market in terms of unit sales.

So how is this market shifting? Let’s break down the market trends within electric and battery-powered OPE:

• Electric OPE products have held steady at around 30 percent of the market share over the past decade.
• Meanwhile, Battery-Powered OPE has grown YoY since 4Q of December 2013. Its growth, combined with the overall steadiness of Electric OPE unit share, would indicate that Battery-Powered OPE is largely taking share away from Gas-Powered OPE

Translating to OPE Dollar Share

While non-gas OPE officially overtook Gas OPE unit shares in 2017, it has taken longer for non-gas OPE to catch up in terms of dollar share.

While gas-powered OPE dollar share has been decreasing YoY, it has maintained an overall lead over dollar share. Nevertheless, Non-Gas OPE has been gaining ground. 

In Q4 2021, TraQline data uncovered a nearly 50/50 split of the market’s dollar share, largely thanks to rising Battery-Powered OPE dollar share. While Gas-Powered OPE still has the overall edge, Battery-Powered OPE now wins 30 percent of OPE dollar share.

What is Causing Changes in the OPE Industry?

What’s driving market changes in the outdoor power equipment industry? There are a few potential factors to consider, including online buying trends and new legislation targeting gas-powered equipment. 

New Legislation

To promote environmental sustainability, states are beginning to introduce legislation to restrict, ban, or phase out certain gas-powered OPE:

• California’s law bans gas-powered lawnmowers, leaf blowers, and chainsaws and is due to be in effect as early as 2024
• In the wake of California’s ban, other states are considering similar laws.

OPE Online Sales Increasing YoY

According to TraQline data, both Battery and Electric OPE products are more likely to be purchased online. Why? There are a few possible reasons. 

• First, even with the weight of the battery or electrical mechanics, these options tend to be much lighter than the gas alternatives. This can lead to lower shipping costs and more affordable online purchases. 
• Second, online retailers may be adjusting their inventory to optimize around new legislation, making battery-powered and electric OPE products their most promising options. 

TraQline: Your Source of OPE Market Share Data, Research, and Statistics

OPE manufacturers are having to adapt to both changing consumer tastes as well as legal obligations. In order to stay ahead of trends and win market share, the OPE industry can count on TraQline for the insights and data they need. To learn more about what TraQline can offer, contact us today!