Gas lawn equipment is horrible for health – here’s how these cities are fixing it
A new interactive mapping tool shows how a growing number of US cities and states have passed regulations restricting the use of gas-powered lawn equipment, or incentivizing the use of electric equipment, with big clean air benefits for a comparatively small investment.
While gas lawn equipment use may seem like it’s not all that big a deal at first glance, gas leafblowers and lawnmowers can actually extremely bad for air and human health – sometimes moreso than cars.
The issue is that “small off-road engines” (SOREs) usually don’t include any sort of pollution controls, and are often dirtier two-stroke engines that create more power in a small package, but emit orders of magnitude more pollution in the form of unburned particulates from the incomplete combustion process they undergo when compared to four-stroke engines.
As a result, running a gas leaf blower for an hour can produce more emissions of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and reactive organic gases (ROG) than driving a small passenger car 1,000 miles. The car still has plenty of other impacts – higher carbon emissions and energy use, contribution to sprawl and land use, oil dependency and so on – but for these specific smog-forming pollutants, SOREs have a major impact.
It’s gotten to the point where California regulators at one point said that gas lawn equipment was responsible for more NOx + ROG emissions statewide than passenger cars did. And in Colorado, lawn & garden equipment contributes about a third as much ozone as the Colorado’s large oil & gas industry, or also about a third as much as all on-road vehicles combined (including heavy duty trucks).
This pollution doesn’t just form smog and harm human health, but when it happens in residential areas as it often does, it can directly pollute the air of the homes nearby – and operators, of course, have to breathe it every day. Not only that, but the rumbling noise of lawn equipment can create quite a nuisance in residential areas, especially with the rising popularity of working from home.
As a result of all of this, regulators in many states and cities have recognized that restrictions on gas lawn equipment can give outsized air quality benefits for relatively little cost or disruption, and that’s exactly what they’ve done in many places across the country, according to a new analysis by U.S. PIRG.
The new interactive mapping tool was created by U.S. PIRG, a public interest advocacy group which focuses on a number of issues, including environment and clean air.
It shows that cities in 26 states have passed some sort of restriction on use of gas lawn equipment, or incentive to swap to electric. As you might expect, California and Colorado are leading the way here, but plenty of other states and cities have something available, including some that aren’t always known for defending clean air on the state level (like, for example, Texas),
These restrictions take several forms. From California’s statewide ban on sale of new gas lawn equipment, to city restrictions on gas leaf blowers or on any equipment over a certain noise level, to municipal use of electric equipment, or simply incentives to encourage swapping out gas for electric.
Thankfully, there are better options available these days, and they’re quite cheap compared to the outsized air quality benefits they produce.
Electric lawn equipment has improved dramatically in recent years, offering lower noise, no emissions, and just as much power as gas-powered versions. Units are often available at a similar price as gas versions, and not only that, there are incentives available to replace gas models with electric ones.
Some of the locations on the above map have focused on an incentive approach rather than limitations. So in places that have boneheadedly made it illegal for local governments to restrict the use of gas leaf blowers like Texas has, cities like Austin and Dallas have nevertheless instituted incentive campaigns to help their residents and encourage switching over.
US PIRG’s page describes several policies that cities or states can implement to help reduce the impacts of these small polluting engines, and residents can certainly talk to their representatives and encourage movement on this issue.
And if you’re looking to get yourself some gas lawn equipment, keep an eye out for Electrek’s “Green Deals” posts where deals come up quite frequently. And check with your state or regional clean air regulator to see if any rebates are available – here’s California’s page and here’s Colorado’s, but as you can see from the map, there are incentives available elsewhere too.
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BMW Motorrad’s futuristic electric scooter just got its first real refresh since beginning production in 2021. The BMW CE 04, already one of the most capable and stylish electric maxi-scooters on the market, now gets a set of upgraded trim options, new aesthetic touches, and a more robust list of features that aim to make this urban commuter even more appealing to riders looking for serious electric performance on two wheels.
The BMW CE 04 has always stood out for its sci-fi styling and high-performance drivetrain. It’s built on a mid-mounted liquid-cooled motor that puts out 31 kW (42 hp) and 62 Nm of torque. That’s enough to rocket the scooter from 0 to 50 km/h (31 mph) in just 2.6 seconds – quite fast for anything with a step-through frame.
The top speed is electronically limited to 120 km/h (75 mph), making it perfectly capable for city riding and fast enough to hold its own on highway stretches. Range is rated at 130 km (81 miles) on the WMTC cycle, thanks to the 8.9 kWh battery pack tucked low in the frame.
But while the core performance hasn’t changed, BMW’s 2025 update focuses on refining the package and giving riders more options to tailor the scooter to their taste. The new CE 04 is available in three trims: Basic, Avantgarde, and Exclusive.
The Basic trim keeps things clean and classic with a Lightwhite paint scheme and a clear windshield. It’s subtle, sleek, and very much in line with the CE 04’s clean-lined aesthetic. The Avantgarde model adds a splash of color with a Gravity Blue main body and bright São Paulo Yellow accents, along with a dark windshield and a laser-engraved rim. The top-shelf Exclusive trim is where things get fancy, with a premium Spacesilver metallic paint job, upgraded wind protection, heated grips, a luxury embroidered seat, and its own unique engraved rim treatment.
There are also a few new tech upgrades baked into the options list. Riders can now spec a 6.9 kW quick charger that reduces the 0–80% charge time to just 45 minutes (down from nearly 4 hours with the standard 2.3 kW onboard charger). Tire pressure monitoring, a center stand, and BMW’s “Headlight Pro” adaptive lighting system are also available as add-ons, along with an emergency eCall system and Dynamic Traction Control.
BMW has kept the core riding components in place: a steel-tube chassis, 15-inch wheels, Bosch ABS (with optional ABS Pro), and the impressive 10.25” TFT display with integrated navigation and smartphone connectivity. The under-seat storage still swallows a full-face helmet, and the long, low frame design means the scooter looks like something out of Blade Runner but rides like a luxury commuter.
With these updates, BMW seems to be further cementing the CE 04’s role at the high end of the electric scooter market. It’s not cheap, starting around €12,000 in Europe and around US $12,500 in the US, with prices going up from there depending on configuration. However, the maxi-scooter delivers real motorcycle-grade performance in a package that’s easier to live with for daily riders.
Electrek’s Take
I believe that the CE 04’s biggest strength has always been that it’s not trying to be a toy or a gimmick. It’s a real vehicle. Sure, it’s futuristic and funky looking, but it delivers on its promises. And in a market that’s still surprisingly sparse when it comes to premium electric scooters, BMW has had the lane mostly to itself. That may not last forever, though. LiveWire, Harley-Davidson’s electric spin-off brand, has teased plans for a maxi-scooter-style urban electric vehicle in the coming years, but as of now, it remains something of an undefined future plan.
Meanwhile, BMW is delivering not just a concept bike but a mature, well-equipped, and ready-to-ride electric scooter that keeps improving. For riders who want something faster and more capable than a Class 3 e-bike but aren’t ready to jump to a full-size electric motorcycle, the CE 04 hits a sweet spot. It delivers the performance and capability of a commuter e-motorcycle, yet with the approachability of a scooter. And with these new trims and upgrades, it’s doing it with even more style.
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If you’ve ever wondered what happens when you combine a fruit cart, a cargo bike, and a Piaggio Ape all in one vehicle, now you’ve got your answer. I submit, for your approval, this week’s feature for the Awesomely Weird Alibaba Electric Vehicle of the Week column – and it’s a beautiful doozie.
Feast your eyes on this salad slinging, coleslaw cruising, tuber taxiing produce chariot!
I think this electric vegetable trike might finally scratch the itch long felt by many of my readers. It seems every time I cover an electric trike, even the really cool ones, I always get commenters poo-poo-ing it for having two wheels in the rear instead of two wheels in the front. Well, here you go, folks!
Designed with two front wheels for maximum stability, this trike keeps your cucumbers in check through every corner. Because trust me, you don’t want to hit a pothole and suddenly be juggling peaches like you’re in Cirque du Soleil: Farmers Market Edition.
To avoid the extra cost of designing a linked steering system for a pair of front wheels, the engineers who brought this salad shuttle to life simply side-stepped that complexity altogether by steering the entire fixed front end. I’ve got articulating electric tractors that steer like this, and so if it works for a several-ton work machine, it should work for a couple hundred pounds of cargo bike.
Featuring a giant cargo bed up front with four cascading fruit baskets set up for roadside sales, this cargo bike is something of a blank slate. Sure, you could monetize grandma’s vegetable garden, or you could fill it with your own ideas and concoctions. Our exceedingly talented graphics wizard sees it as the perfect coffee and pastry e-bike for my new startup, The Handlebarista, and I’m not one to argue. Basically, the sky is the limit with a blank slate bike like this!
Sure, the quality doesn’t quite match something like a fancy Tern cargo bike. The rim brakes aren’t exactly confidence-inspiring, but at least there are three of them. And if they should all give out, or just not quite slow you down enough to avoid that quickly approaching brick wall, then at least you’ve got a couple hundred pounds of tomatoes as a tasty crumple zone.
The electrical system does seem a bit underpowered. With a 36V battery and a 250W motor, I don’t know if one-third of a horsepower is enough to haul a full load to the local farmer’s market. But I guess if the weight is a bit much for the little motor, you could always do some snacking along the way. On the other hand, all the pictures seem to show a non-electric version. So if this cart is presumably mobile on pedal power alone, then that extra motor assist, however small, is going to feel like a very welcome guest.
The $950 price is presumably for the electric version, since that’s what’s in the title of the listing, though I wouldn’t get too excited just yet. I’ve bought a LOT of stuff on Alibaba, including many electric vehicles, and the too-good-to-be-true price is always exactly that. In my experience, you can multiply the Alibaba price by 3-4x to get the actual landed price for things like these. Even so, $3,000-$4,000 wouldn’t be a terrible price, considering a lot of electric trikes stateside already cost that much and don’t even come with a quad-set of vegetable baskets on board!
I should also put my normal caveat in here about not actually buying one of these. Please, please don’t try to buy one of these awesome cargo e-trikes. This is a silly, tongue-in-cheek weekend column where I scour the ever-entertaining underbelly of China’s massive e-commerce site Alibaba in search of fun, quirky, and just plain awesomely weird electric vehicles. While I’ve successfully bought several fun things on the platform, I’ve also gotten scammed more than once, so this is not for the timid or the tight-budgeted among us.
That isn’t to say that some of my more stubborn readers haven’t followed in my footsteps before, ignoring my advice and setting out on their own wild journey. But please don’t be the one who risks it all and gets nothing in return. Don’t say I didn’t warn you; this is the warning.
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