Kärcher and STIHL have announced a strategic partnership aimed at creating a common battery standard for professional equipment. This is yet another sign that manufacturers are increasingly opting for open ecosystems rather than closed solutions, in order to simplify users’ work and reduce running costs.
The collaboration will be based on the ALLPRO battery system developed by STIHL. In future, it will power both STIHL’s professional gardening and forestry equipment and Kärcher’s cleaning equipment. For users, this means being able to use the same batteries and chargers across products from both brands.
“Professional users need more than just high-performance equipment. They require systems that perform well across a wide range of tasks, reduce complexity and ensure that their investment pays off in the long term,” says Michael Traub, CEO of STIHL AG. “And this is where ALLPRO comes in. The partnership with Kärcher expands the scope of our battery system to include further professional applications, thereby creating added value in our customers’ day-to-day work.”
Existing users of STIHL’s AP system will also benefit from this collaboration. The manufacturer assures that existing batteries will remain compatible with new Kärcher devices based on the ALLPRO platform. Kärcher, for its part, pledges continued service support and the availability of spare parts for devices using the existing Battery Universe system.
“STIHL and Kärcher are two family-run companies whose success has always been based on the power of innovation and an uncompromising commitment to quality. Thanks to the synergy between our machines, we are creating much more than just a technical solution: we are consistently driving the electrification of professional applications, thereby providing our customers with a decisive competitive advantage” – says Hartmut Jenner, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chairman of the Management Board of Alfred Kärcher SE & Co. KG.
The new platform utilises batteries featuring tabless cell technology, which reduces battery heat build-up and improves energy flow. According to STIHL, this translates into up to 60 per cent higher peak power, 20 per cent longer running time, half the charging time, and a service life of up to 3,000 charging cycles. The batteries can be charged to 80 per cent of their capacity in around nine minutes using a dedicated charger.
ALLPRO is also set to be developed by further manufacturers. Companies specialising in, amongst other things, forestry winches, equipment carriers and mobile refuelling systems are joining the alliance. As a result, professional users in the forestry, construction, green space maintenance and facility management sectors will gain access to over 120 devices using a single power standard. This is part of the growing trend towards creating shared battery ecosystems, which has also been developing in the professional power tools segment for several years.
The first ALLPRO batteries will be available at authorised STIHL dealers on 1 August 2026, whilst Kärcher will begin selling tools based on the new platform on 1 January 2027.
