Husqvarna launches Chainsaw-as-a-Service
Husqvarna has announced the launch of Battery Box, a connected garden toolshed that sees the power tool giant attempt to cut it in an as-a-service world.
"Internet of Things and the sharing economy is changing the world at a rapid pace creating new exciting opportunities for companies to explore new business models and new technology solutions while contributing to a more sustainable society," the company said in a statement.
According to Husqvarna, the Battery Box combines the concepts of environmental awareness and the sharing economy, and forms part of the company's commitment to exploring "innovative and sustainable" solutions for taking care of gardens and green spaces.
Pavel Hajman, president of the Husqvarna division, touted the subscription-based offering as the next logical step for the company, noting that people are already sharing homes and cars.
"To share products that are only used occasionally, like a hedge-trimmer, makes a lot of sense for some users," he said.
The Battery Box is an 8m x 3m container taking up residency at the Bromma Blocks shopping mall in Stockholm, Sweden. iPhone-owning customers will use Husqvarna's app to reserve tools, retrieve usage instructions, pay for, and open the locker to pick up their pre-booked power tool for a cost of approximately 35 euros.
Husqvarna's Battery Box is powered in the cloud by Telenor Connexion.
"For Telenor Connexion, the Husqvarna Battery Box is a perfect project to apply our partner ecosystem catered for businesses that want to take on the digital transformation journey," Telenor Connexion CEO Mats Lundquist said of the offering.
With the Battery Box, Husqvarna hopes to test the concept's viability, as well as collect insights on market maturity, customer behaviour, and potential future revenue streams for Husqvarna's distribution network, the company said.
A few years ago, Husqvarna introduced the My Automower app that allows owners to mow their lawn without even being home.
Features of the My Automower app include basics like setting timers, instructing the Automower when to start and stop mowing, and the ability to check the status of the machine. Additionally, using the device's built-in GPS, users can track the Automower on Google Maps in case it decides to cut the neighbour's grass.
Just last week, the Automower celebrated the sale of its 1 millionth robotic lawn mower.