Battery technology gets the wind in its sails

There is no escape from the electrification of society. Kärcher has also understood this well. Already a world leader in efficient and environmentally friendly cleaning technology, the company is now going that extra mile. With the launch of "Kärcher Battery Universe," it is betting more than ever on self-sufficient, environmentally friendly and powerful cleaning devices. For professional users, the powerful batteries of the 36 V platform will be available with different capacities and interchangeability, so that a wide range of devices can be powered with the same battery.

With the launch of the first pressure washer in 1950 and the first mobile pressure washer in 1984, Kärcher has always distinguished itself as a pioneer. Currently, the counter on patents stands at 2018. Not surprisingly, experience with battery-powered devices dates back as far as 1986, when the first battery-powered floor cleaner saw the light of day. Today, more than thirty years later, battery technology has the wind in its sails and will become increasingly important in cleaning and maintenance. On the one hand, new application possibilities open up when machines can be self-sufficient in energy. On the other hand, the user's workload is considerably reduced.
Operations such as unrolling cables, looking for a socket and rolling up cables are a thing of the past, tripping flakes disappear and hard-to-reach places become easy to clean. Such tasks take up a lot of time all together when cleaning buildings. By using battery-powered devices, up to 20% of working time can be saved, compared to corded models.

The same battery can now be used to power a wide range of devices.

New battery platform

The fact that 97% of Kärcher's products already have an environmentally friendly electric motor at their heart makes the move to battery power the logical next development. Kärcher is immediately packing big with the launch of a new battery platform. Battery technology has the advantage of easy handling, great ease of use, strong performance, low consumption costs and low emissions. "With the Kärcher Battery Universe, we are setting another milestone in our industry. With it, we offer our customers an outstanding technology that integrates our more than 30 years of experience and expertise in the field of batteries," said Hartmut Jenner, CEO of Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG. "And this is just the beginning. Before the end of 2020, we will launch more than 20 more new battery products on the market." Kärcher will thus continue to invest heavily in the coming years. Annually, this will amount to about 500,000 euros until 2023. The universe now presented consists of two platforms: 18 V and 36 V.

Real Time Technology

But Kärcher would not be Kärcher if it did not want to push the boundaries here as well. A unique selling point will be the LCD display with "Real Time Technology. Real Time Technology shows not only the remaining battery capacity but also the remaining running and charging time in minutes. Due to the powerful unique protection against water jets, there is no need to watch out for water-sensitive components during cleaning jobs (class IPX5). The batteries are additionally protected from dust. The battery housing is made of robust plastic and therefore extremely impact-resistant. Thanks to efficient temperature management, the batteries deliver excellent performance even under intensive use. In the process, smart cell monitoring protects against overloading, overheating and deep discharge. If a device is not used for an extended period, the process-controlled, automatic storage mode of the Battery Power batteries ensures a long service life of the cells.  

Kärcher in figures

69 years of experience with electric motors

33 years of battery experience

84 years of experience in electrical
engineer

43 battery products

2 battery platforms

1 universe