What is AFTC?

The American Green Zone Alliance (AGZA) is a leading voice in the transition toward more sustainable land care. Its AGZA Advanced Field Testing & Certification (AFTC) program was developed internally in 2008 to address a critical gap in the evaluation of emerging electric landscape equipment. The process is straightforward in principle but rigorous in execution: take market-ready and sometimes pre preproduction products and subject them to hundreds, often thousands, of hours of real-world, professional use across diverse environments.

Testing occurs in multiple regions of the country, across varying turf types, vegetation conditions, and extreme temperature ranges. For large mower platforms, AGZA requires a minimum of 1000 verified working hours to assess safety, reliability, and durability. Handheld equipment undergoes 300 to 600 confirmed field hours of testing, ensuring that tools, batteries, and charging systems are thoroughly stress-tested under heavy cycling conditions.

Importantly, AFTC is independent of manufacturer-controlled testing environments. While AGZA reviews and substantiates static and dynamic data from manufacturers, our certification is based on unbiased, field-based validation.

Why AFTC?

In the mid-2000s, AGZA Green Zone Certification projects began gaining visibility through news coverage, sustainability blogs and industry publications. As interest grew, manufacturers approached AGZA, claiming that their electric platforms could meet the demands of daily commercial operations.

Initially, AGZA relied on those claims. In doing so, we recommended equipment that ultimately failed in the field, resulting in safety concerns, battery and charger failures, and significant financial losses for both AGZA and our clients. Efforts to resolve these issues through traditional distribution channels proved ineffective and slow.

To protect its reputation, uphold our certification standards, and ensure project success, AGZA made the decision to independently source and deploy reliable equipment at our own expense.

That experience led directly to the creation of AGZA AFTC Certification. Today, the program exists to ensure that the industry has access to objective, real-world performance data, and independent case studies, helping contractors and organizations avoid costly mistakes and adopt electric technologies with confidence.

AFTC moving forward

Some of the largest brands in the industry have recognized the value of AGZA AFTC, successfully completing the process and earning certification. Many of these platforms have been tested over multiple years, with some evaluated for nearly a decade. Here is a list of manufacturers who have completed AGZA AFTC Certification for various models for commercial and residential rated OPE tools.

Current commercial AFTC-certified equipment

• Stihl – Commercial AP 36V handheld tools, walk-behind mowers, chainsaw, pole saws, large stand-on and ride-on mowers
• Mean Green Mowers – 48V walk-behind, stand-on, and ride-on mowers
• Husqvarna – Commercial 36V handheld tools, walk-behind mowers, chainsaw, and pole saw models
• Husqvarna Autonomous EPOS System – 540, 550, and 560 Automower robotic systems
• TOWA Tools – Portable Distribution Modules (PDM) and mobile charging solutions
• Greenworks Optimus – Commercial AP 82V handheld tools, walk-behind mowers, chainsaw, pole saws, large stand-on and ride-on mowers
• Milwaukee Tool – M12, M18 & MX Fuel Commercial Outdoor Power Equipment handheld tools, walk-behind mowers, chainsaw, pole saws, and on-the-go charging system
• Kress – Commercial handheld tools, walk-behind mowers and chainsaw models
• OSO – Commercial walk-behind mowers
• Makita – 40V XGT Commercial handheld tools and walk-behind mowers and chainsaw models

For a detailed list of AGZA AFTC Certified Commercial models by manufacturer, visit AFTC Approved Equipment.

Current Residential AFTC-Certified Equipment

• Stihl – Residential AK 36V handheld tools, walk-behind mowers, chainsaw, and pole saw models
• EGO – 56V Power+ Residential handheld tools and walk-behind mowers

For a detailed list of AGZA AFTC Certified Residential models by manufacturer, visit AFTC Approved Equipment.

Other brands and considerations

AGZA remains brand-neutral and brand-agnostic. There are undoubtedly additional manufacturers and systems that may perform well under certain conditions but have not yet undergone AGZA AFTC evaluation.

The organization strongly encourage industry professionals, municipalities and institutions to conduct thorough due diligence. Purchasing decisions should extend beyond online searches, short-form marketing content and limited demonstrations.

AFTC serves as an additional layer of insight—helping stakeholders make informed decisions in a market where electric platforms can carry upfront costs three to four times higher than traditional gas-powered equipment.

Its primary objective is to:

• Protect worker safety
• Maintain operational efficiency
• Support long-term profitability and return on investment

AGZA is actively expanding its testing pipeline and continues to evaluate additional brands seeking independent validation through the AFTC process.

Robotics, autonomy, software and other emerging technologies

AGZA continues to expand its AFTC program, including the evaluation of robotic systems and software platforms that claim to rapidly increase operational efficiency and revenue. Where such claims are made, AGZA applies a disciplined, data-driven approach, separating measurable outcomes from marketing narratives.

The organization’s role is not to amplify claims, but to validate performance through independent discovery, grounded in real-world data and free from the influence of aggressive marketing strategies or disproportionate advertising exposure.

For more information on AGZA AFTC, visit agza.net or call: 310-779-9785