HUSQVARNA SAY CEORA WITH DEALERS, Q1 2022

Husqvarna have officially launched a new robot mower that they say can independently mow an area the equivalent of up to eight football pitches a day or night.

Known as the CEORA, the machine had its official public UK launch at an event at the Headland Amenity Turf Research Centre in Cambridge on Tuesday last week, following a global online press launch a couple of weeks ago.

Speaking to TurfPro, Andrew Lees, Pro Robotic Project Leader at the manufacturer said UK turf professionals should expect to see the machine in their local dealer's showroom in quarter one 2022 for the sales start date.

Asked whether the industry-wide delays on all goods experienced so far this year could in anyway impact on this, Andrew told the magazine, "At the minute we have had no indication that that will slip. The product was supposed to be launched this year, so it's actually been delayed a year. However at the moment there is nothing I'm aware of that indicates that the 2022 date will slip in anyway."

Valentin Dahlhaus, vice president at Husqvarna said, "Commercial turf care is about to be revolutionised thanks to CEORA. I am confident that it will be a much-appreciated addition to any team of landscape professionals - a quiet, smart and autonomous colleague that will happily perform the most tedious tasks whenever needed. Not only is the pitch always ready for play, professionals free up their time for other tasks."

The company says the robots can navigate with a precision of 2-3 cm, due to their satellite navigation system, EPOS. They also say is possible to select individually defined areas on demand, with different schedules as well as height-settings. The user keeps control of all mowers in the fleet, through the Husqvarna Fleet Services application. CEORA is backed by Husqvarna´s maintenance and support program, UpCare, which provides repair and replacement services.

The manufacturer says CEORA is designed to avoid obstacles. With the ultrasonic remote object avoidance system, the mower slows down soon as it senses an approaching object. As a positive side effect, Husqvarna claim this increases uptime by eliminating interruptions and undesired stops. Also of benefit to professional users is the fact that the machines do not produce any direct emissions during use.

At launch two models will be available - the 544 EPOS and 546 EPOS - in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Poland.

As part of a first year introductory offer, the 544 EPOS has an RRP of 24,900 EUR and the 546 has an RRP of 28,900 EUR. It is also available as a lease option in selected markets.  

The robots are designed to be multi-purpose units, with future accessories to be available to allow turf professionals to carry out other tasks besides mowing.