Colorado-based Scythe Robotics is adopting the North American Charging Standard (NACS) charging interface for its M.52 robotic lawnmower. The company says the move will integrate NACS functionality into their all-electric, fully automated commercial mowers as early as the fourth quarter of 2024.
Also known as the “Tesla Charger” or SAE J3400, NACS is becoming the standard for electric vehicle (EV) charging, according to Scythe. Leading automotive companies, including Ford, General Motors, and BMW, have committed to transitioning to NACS by 2025, Scythe said, adding that the development of standardized charging infrastructures is critical to facilitating the mass adoption of EVs and streamlining the user experience with reliable and simple charging solutions.
By eliminating proprietary connectors and technologies, Scythe said the shift ensures lower charging costs, greater ease of use, and more charging amenities for landscapers using the M.52.
“We are committed to providing our landscaping customers with meaningful solutions that are at the forefront of technological innovation,” said Davis Foster, co-founder and chief engineer of Scythe. “With the full adoption of NACS in the U.S., it’s clear that this standardized charging solution will be the best and most convenient way to charge any electric vehicle or machine, including the M.52, for the foreseeable future. We are excited to extend these benefits to our customers.”
The next generation of the M.52, scheduled for production in late 2024, will integrate NACS components as these are available to non-Tesla manufacturers. Existing generations of M.52 can be made compatible with the new standard through a common NACS-to-J1772 connector. Looking ahead, NACS holds the potential for future improvements and features such as DC fast charging and automatic billing for existing charger networks.
“By incorporating NACS into the next generation of our machine, M.52 will potentially be the first non-Tesla vehicle to implement this new standard,” explained Roger Dodrill, staff systems engineer at Scythe. “As pioneers in autonomous and electric outdoor power equipment, adopting this standardized solution is a critical step in our mission to electrify the industry. By providing the gold standard in charging capabilities, we aim to eliminate barriers to the adoption of electric equipment and enhance the overall user experience for our valued customers.”

Scythe Robotics at Robotics Summit & Expo
Scythe will be speaking at the Robotics Summit and Expo, the world’s leading event for commercial robotics developers, in Boston on 1-2 May, where Nathaniel Czarnecki, Scythe’s lead test engineer, will describe how the company is “building a scalable test program to improve robot reliability “.
Czarnecki will share the company’s philosophy and framework for building efficient robotic test procedures that can scale in scope and impact without burdening the business. This includes prioritizing which aspects of the product require the most in-depth testing, identifying meaningful metrics to measure them against, and using findings to rapidly iterate and improve the product – all with often limited resources and severely scaled test operations.
Scythe’s test program drove phased product and performance improvements for M.52 and major updates between them. Through the story of the Scythe test site (as well as numerous destructive testing videos), Nathaniel will also share best practices for testing hardware and software in tandem, creating incremental test procedures, and building the rapport needed to work with teams within an organization, providing insights that are relevant to any robotics company.
The Robotics Summit & Expo, co-hosted by The Robot Report and its parent company, WTWH Media, focuses on the design, development, and scaling of commercial robots. More than 60 speakers will share their commercial robotics development expertise in more than 40 sessions. In addition, there will be more than 130 exhibitors showcasing enabling technologies at the show.