Mowers

Ryobi's Electric Riding Mowers: The 80V Lineup, Explained

Ryobi's original RM480e electric rider has been replaced by an 80V ride-on and zero-turn lineup — here's what changed and how the category has matured.

Verdict: The category has matured past its first-generation growing pains — Ryobi's current 80V platform is a more serious entry than the original RM480e was, worth cross-shopping against gas riding mowers for anyone under a couple of acres who doesn't want the fuel and maintenance routine.

Ryobi’s original claim to fame in electric riding mowers was the RM480e — one of the first genuinely mainstream, moderately priced electric riders on the market. That specific model has since been discontinued, replaced by a more mature 80V platform. If you’re comparing against an old review of the RM480e (including an earlier version of this one), the current lineup is a different generation of hardware.

The Current Lineup: R1 Ride-On and ZR3 Zero-Turn

Ryobi’s current electric riding mower platform runs on 80V brushless power, spanning two form factors sold through Home Depot: the R1, a 30-inch ride-on with traditional steering (closer to a compact lawn tractor), and the ZR3, a 42-inch zero-turn. Both run on the same 80V 14Ah battery platform — Ryobi’s largest pack yet on this line — and are pitched as gas-equivalent in output (roughly 16 and 25 horsepower-equivalent respectively). The same choice that applies when shopping gas riding mowers or a zero-turn applies here too — a zero-turn cuts mowing time on lawns with a lot of obstacles and tight turns, while a ride-on suits larger, more open lots where raw simplicity matters more than maneuverability.

Check current pricing before buying — both models are premium-priced versus a comparable gas rider, and Ryobi’s lineup here has moved fast enough that model numbers and pricing from even a year ago may already be out of date.

Why Brushless Matters More Here Than on Handheld Tools

Brushless motors show up across a lot of battery-powered yard equipment now, but the benefit is more pronounced on a riding mower than on a handheld trimmer or blower — a riding mower’s drivetrain and blade motors work harder and longer per session, so the reduced wear and extended service life of a brushless design has more opportunity to matter over years of use.

Runtime: Still the Category’s Real Tradeoff

This hasn’t fundamentally changed since the RM480e era: an electric riding mower’s mowing session is capped by battery charge, and recharging takes hours on standard household power rather than the minutes a gas refuel takes. For lots under a couple of acres, current models generally handle a full mow on a charge, but always check the specific model’s rated mowing area against your actual lot size — this is the single most important spec for anyone considering electric over gas for a riding mower.

Bottom Line

The RM480e proved the concept; Ryobi’s current 80V lineup is the more mature execution of it. For anyone mowing a lot under a couple of acres who’s already sold on battery power for a push mower or trimmer, an electric riding mower is a legitimate alternative to gas now, not just a novelty — just size the runtime to your actual lawn before buying, and don’t go looking for the discontinued RM480e as if it’s still the current model.

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