Polaris electric revolution

Wineries, dairies, organic farms, horse studs and other boutique agriculture properties, especially those with indoor facilities, are opting for electric ATVs which don't emit any CO2, according to Polaris marketing manager Neil Anderson. Polaris has one electric model, the Ranger EV ($19,999 driveaway) with 22kW of power, a top speed of 40km/h and 80km of range.

"These vehicles are a good fit for an organic farm where the owners don't want to store fuel on the property," he says. "It fits in with the whole ethos of organic so there are no diesel fumes belching all over the livestock or plants."

He says the vehicles are also popular at cellar doors and other farms with tourist attractions and eateries. "It's much more impressive for those operations to have something quietly taking stock from A to B without belching diesel fumes around."

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Anderson says the Ranger EV is also a hit at dairies and horse studs. "It doesn't scare the stock or put the cows off their milk," he says. "If you have a million-dollar thoroughbred horse the last thing you want to do is spook it."

"It also means you can have your staff zipping around an agistment property without waking up animals."

"There is a catering company in WA that bought a couple so they could deliver food to the mine site without waking workers," he says. "If you are in the middle of nowhere you want something that - rain, hail or shine - it can get to where you want. "

"At mines you have people working 24 hours a day so you always have people sleeping."

Polaris has loaned Ranger EVs to various agricultural operations to trial such as the Sirromet Winery in Brisbane and the Foster's Group of wineries.

"Foster's have trialled and bought some for the Yarra Valley in particular and some wineries in the Margaret River area," he says.