If blowing snow has got you down, you can always fantasize about the dog days of summer, and mowing the lawn — with an electric riding lawnmower, of course! No more fumes, no more fuss, and no more frustrating pull-starts; these dream machines of a kinder, greener suburbia are a whole lot easier on the environment, and easier to operate as well, making them a fine subject for across-the-fence conversations over iced tea. Black and Decker has a couple nice-looking models we've highlighted before,as does Recharge.

But wait — that Recharge riding lawn mower, like any good tech, got itself some upgrades for summer 2012. And no, they aren't improvements to make it lawnmower racing ready (though the manufacturer does claim a top speed of 5 MPH).

image via Recharge

The Recharge Mower G2, it is said, includes electronic cutting blade controllers for a smoother operation,  a heavy duty drive system that is operated using the Curtis controller system and the removal of plastic associated with the previous model of this mower in favor of metal.

The mower will cut up to 2 acres on a single charge, and operates cordlessly, thanks to its 36v85Ah battery plant. Its all-steel deck features 7 selectable cutting height adjustments; grass clippings can be dumped out the side as you ride (the eco-friendliest option) or mulched for later disposal or use.

The company claims there has been a waiting list for this souped up new mower, so perhaps it has more fans then we think. Still, if that $2599.00 price tag (including delivery) doesn't appeal to you, you can always consider Recharge's more basic, non-riding electric model, the Ultralite Lithium Powered Recharge Mower, priced at $489 and widely available at stores like Sears, Walmart, and Home Depot.

Either way, if you wind up with a battery-powered lawnmower this summer, you might just find yourself with a hankering to soup it up, via the DIY Solar Lawnmower plans available on Instructables. This process involves little more than a 12 volt solar panel, some electrical wire, a couple of 12 volt cigarette-lighter plugs, a multi-meter and some basic tools (the author used his Leatherman). This tricked out solar electric lawnmower can apparently be rigged up in the time it takes to mow your lawn.

And sure, there's the price of that solar panel involved. But the envy of your neighbrs for both your fab lawn and your sterling eco cred? Priceless.