Power play ahead

2 February 2022

How good are your selling skills and powers of persuasion? You might find out soon. 

A hirer I spoke to recently is planning to add more battery powered equipment to his fleet as, indeed, many others are. 

“I realise that it’s what we all have to do, to be environmentally friendly and protect the planet, and that more contractors are aware of their ESG (environmental, social and governance) obligations. But it’s going to be challenging. 

“The battery and charger for one piece of equipment that we’ll be buying costs as much as the body of the machine itself, which is roughly the same price as the petrol equivalent. So in theory, customers will have to pay twice the hire rate for it. 

“And, of course, we have competitors who will offer ridiculous rates to win business, so the differential could be even greater,” he said.

“Perhaps the battery machine will sit on the shelf for a while, until more people realise – or are told – that it’s what they’ll have to use from now on to meet regulations.” 

Certainly, users working in areas with low emission zones in place have to adopt environmentally friendly working methods in order to comply.

Will the ‘go green’ argument be enough in general to sell the battery model and overcome any resistance to the price difference? Or will a customer, faced with rising costs and inflationary pressures, continue to seek a cheaper option while it is still available? 

I’ll be talking to other industry professionals for their views - and possible solutions. 

● For more of the latest Site-Eco stories click here.