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Alfred Karcher SE & Co. KG and Andreas Stihl AG & Co. KG have announced a joint battery alliance. In a news release, Stihl said the goal of this relationship “is to offer professional users a common, high-performance and future-proof battery standard.” The resulting ALLPRO battery system developed by Stihl will be used in the professional equipment of both brands. The new batteries will be available from Stihl specialist retailers beginning August 1, 2026. Karcher will launch the new batteries and the new tools on January 1, 2027.

“Professional users need more than just high-performance tools. They need systems that cover a wide range of tasks, reduce complexity and ensure their investment pays off in the long term,” said Michael Traub, Chairman of the Executive Board of Stihl AG. “This is exactly where ALLPRO comes in. The partnership with Karcher expands the scope of our battery system to include further professional applications, thereby creating added value in our customers’ day-to-day work.”

When I visited Stihl headquarters in Waiblingen, Germany last fall, I got the chance to ask Traub about the idea of battery sharing across manufacturers. I asked, “Do you see a future where there is standardization of battery communication or even trading of battery technology from one manufacturer to another? Granted, my question was asked in context of a company like Stihl sharing battery technology with a company that more directly competes with it. Karcher and Stihl do compete with pressure washers, walk-behind mowers, and trimmers in some countries. Traub answered:  

“The way (a battery) is designed is a key differentiator, what power they provide and what amp hours they have. I think it’s a competitive statement, and I think in a not regulated world, I would think as well that the best idea will win in the company with the best strategy for the target group. Let competition do what competition does,” said Traub in answer to my question.

“Stihl and Karcher are two family-owned businesses whose success has always been based on innovative strength and an uncompromising commitment to quality. Through the synergy between our equipment, we are creating far more than just a technical solution: we are consistently driving forward the electrification of professional applications, thereby securing a decisive competitive advantage for our customers,” says Hartmut Jenner, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) & Chairman of the Board of Management of Alfred Karcher SE & Co. KG.

Stihl said this partnership helps professional users by adding flexibility and allowing them “to use the same high-performance batteries and chargers for both their Karcher cleaning equipment and their Stihl power tools.

The new ALLPRO batteries are fully compatible with Stihl’s existing AP system. Existing AP batteries can be used with the new Karcher battery-powered devices. For Karcher customers, ALLPRO is an entirely new platform. Karcher said it will guarantee full service, spare parts and battery availability for existing devices from the previous battery universe.

What is tabless battery technology?

The ALLPRO battery system offers batteries in two technology classes: standard cells and tabless cells. The AP 20.1 and AP 30.1 battery models use standard cells. What the two companies call the “high-end class” of batteries, including the AP 100 P, AP 200 P and AP 300 P (Connected) models, use a tabless cell architecture.

The new release describes tabless this way: “Instead of channelling the electric current through a single, heat-generating bottleneck (‘tab’), the energy flows across the entire surface of the cell. The principle is similar to that of a wide-necked bottle: through a large opening, the water – or in this case, the energy – can flow out and back in much more quickly. Thanks to the minimised internal resistance, hardly any heat is generated during operation or charging, which reduces the main cause of cell ageing. A direct comparison between a conventional standard battery and the new tabless AP 300 P model shows what this means in practice: it offers 60 per cent higher peak power and a 20 per cent increase in runtime. In addition, the charging time required to reach full operational readiness is halved, whilst the service life doubles to up to 3,000 charge cycles without any loss of performance.”

Tabless battery cells have been in use with other power equipment manufacturers. And since the majority of (all?) power equipment manufacturers purchase battery cells from a handful of cell manufacturers, it is likely that these new Stihl tabless battery cells are the same tabless cells. Stihl, and other manufacturers, do manufacture their own battery housings and assemblies of battery cells.

What is In Power watching for here?

• 1. Will this result in other product sharing between Karcher and Stihl?
• 2. Might other manufacturers create similar partnerships? (It appears the Cleco Tools division of Apex Tool Group currently use Milwaukee M18 lithium batteries)
• 3. Is this just Karcher buying batteries from Stihl? Or is there more to the relationship? We will ask.