Stihl unveils centennial MS 500i chainsaw
Most rural properties wouldn’t be without a chainsaw, so it’s fitting to celebrate the centenary of Andreas Stihl inventing the first portable chainsaw in a Stuttgart workshop in 1926.
Early battery powered tools were always a little ho-hum – you either loved them or hated them – but the development of new battery technologies over the last decade or so, means they offer a creditable alternative to petrol.
Today, more than one in four of all Stihl products sold worldwide are battery-powered, with the company aiming to increase this share to approximately 35% by 2027 and 80% by 2035. Those statistics will explain why the Stihl Group has opened its first battery-only production site in Oradea, Romania to produce battery packs and battery-powered tools.
Covering a total area of over 33-acres, the 10.7-acre production building will ramp up operations to produced one million battery packs by 2026. By 2028, output is expected to rise to 1.8 million battery packs, alongside 1.7 million battery-powered tools. The site currently employs around 135 people, with expectations for this to rise to around 700 by 2028.
Production initially focuses on battery-powered blowers and AP battery packs from the professional Stihl range. Over time, the portfolio will expand to include additional battery-powered equipment such as brush cutters and chainsaws.
The new €125 million plant will play a central role in meeting the growing demand for battery-powered products across European markets, while expanding the company’s global network and strengthening its position in the fast-growing battery segment.
“It is a vital addition that will secure our long-term competitiveness in Europe and support our customers with high-performance products developed and built for professionals and demanding consumers worldwide,” he adds.
