In a quest to reduce its carbon footprint, Waterloo, Ont. is going automatic by employing an emissions-free, robot mower to keep its lawns pristine.

The City of Waterloo says it is the first municipality in Canada to utilize such a machine, which can cut up to six acres of grass on one charge. Unlike traditional mowers, the robot doesn’t produce any emissions and can work day and night, rain or shine.

Following a successful pilot period, the city added the Echo Turf Mower 2000 to its fleet of equipment, and the robot mower is currently in use at the Laurel Creek Conservation Area cricket field.

The machine can be entirely operated from a phone or desktop app, set to a schedule for any time of the day, and report back real-time updates around mowing patterns and locations. It is entirely electrical, only needs to be cleaned once a week, and is equipped with many safety features including an emergency stop button.

“We’re always looking for ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and move the city towards a cleaner and greener future. The automatic mower reduces our carbon footprint while allowing us to reallocate staff time more efficiently. The way it mows even helps to keep the grass thicker and healthier,” said Tim Wolfe, the City’s Manager of Parks Operations, Forestry, and Horticulture.

“As we got the grass down to the height we were looking for, it started to fly around the field and we were actually really impressed with how easy it was to adjust and easy it is to clean and how much of a timesaver it was for our staff and the people that were cutting it before,” Terry Henderson, the City’s supervisor of sports turf and parks, told CTV News.

As well as introducing the robot mower to its operations, Waterloo’s Fleet and Procurement division is also beginning to use alternative fuel vehicles, rightsizing vehicles, and continuously investigating new technologies that reduce GHGs while meeting the operational needs of the community, says the City.