What are the real economics of moving from gas to battery?

When we look objectively at the numbers, the economic picture is clear: It’s lower overall costs for landscapers and homeowners with battery power.

According to a 2025 Consumer Reports analysis, “Years ago, cordless leaf blowers were little more than overpriced novelties, designed to comply with rigorous local noise regulations. But that’s no longer the case. Today’s battery leaf blowers can match or even beat the performance of gas models.” In their rigorous independent evaluations the top rated battery leaf blowers outperformed the top rated gas blowers.

Battery-powered blowers compare favorably to gas blowers. In addition, battery blowers offer instant start/stop ability and no oil-mixing or refueling downtime so crews using them complete jobs in the same amount of time as those using gas. Cheaper fuel, maintenance, and liability costs – with less refueling time – combine to yield big cost savings, according to trade journals. Not surprisingly, municipalities that have enacted gas bans report the result is lower total cost.

Battery-powered blowers can cost more to purchase – if you include battery cos t– but it’s the total cost of operations over time that tells the real story. In 2023 the University of Pennsylvania reported that fuel and maintenance savings — of about $1,100 per battery unit per year — offset initial purchase costs within 2 years. After that break-even point, contractors earn higher profits than from gas. Total cost has decreased since 2023 as technology has improved and purchase prices have gone down.

In municipalities using now only battery blowers, including for large parcels – for example, in Montgomery County, MD – customers have not seen price hikes due to increased costs. Indeed, there are no media reports about price increases or of landscapers going out of business following a transition to battery power. A 2025 Georgetown Environmental Law Review article notes that bans, when challenged in court by landscapers, have been upheld because those bringing challenges lack facts to substantiate their claims of economic hardship.

The evidence here is from trade journals, manufacturer specifications, independent research, government websites, and case law. When we look objectively at the numbers, the economic picture is clear: It’s lower overall costs for landscapers and homeowners with battery power. 

DON’T BE AFRAID

A fully electric landscaping company in Bucks County shows how it’s done. Landscaping on a commercial scale without the toxic noise and air pollution. Solar and battery powered right now.