Going battery-powered: cleaner, quieter vegetation management

ARB Access Group recognises its responsibility to the environment, and our ISO 14001 certification demonstrates our commitment to the environment and the green issues relating to our operations. At the beginning of 2026 we made the decision to phase out all our fuelled hedge cutters and move to wholly battery-powered tools. The move has offered us several operational and environmental benefits, particularly within rail and infrastructure maintenance environments.

Quieter works, safer communication

One of the key advantages is the significant reduction in noise levels compared to traditional petrol machinery. This is especially beneficial for night works, urban rail corridors, stations and other noise-sensitive environments, while also assisting effective communication between teams on site.

Lower emissions, healthier operators

Battery tools eliminate direct exhaust emissions during operation, supporting wider sustainability and carbon reduction objectives. Alongside this, our operators benefit from a range of occupational health benefits including reduced vibration, lower noise exposure, instant starting and a cleaner overall working environment with no fuel mixing or exhaust fumes. The elimination of fuels also removes the likelihood of spillage, and with it the risk of contaminated land.

Operational gains

From an operational perspective, battery equipment helps reduce downtime and ongoing maintenance costs. Our new battery-operated tools deliver the performance required for demanding commercial vegetation management applications, while allowing multiple tools to run from the same battery system, simplifying fleet management and logistics.