42 | The Tuatara’s all-steel structure makes it one of the toughest ATV / UTV available. Every farmer’s primary workhorse Kelly Deeks Specifically designed to be every farmer’s primary workhorse, the Tuatara ATV, or more correctly, UTV, has all the power, carrying capacity, versatility and go-anywhere capability that makes it the off-road side-by-side vehicle of choice for all the daily jobs around the farm. Cleverly named after New Zealand’s iconic largest reptile, the Tuatara has much in common with our renowned ancient lizard. A New Zealand product, the Tuatara’s all-steel structure makes it one of the toughest ATV/UTV available in New Zealand. It has longevity, robustness, is four-wheel drive, and its rugged appearance is weirdly appealing. Company founders Geoff Hill and Qingmei Pang founded Tuatara Machinery in 2017. Geoff has been importing agricultural and construction machinery from China for more than 15 years, and Qingmei has an engineering and international business background. They saw the need for an ATV specifically designed for New Zealanders, and designed the Tuatara ATV from the ground up to handle the most challenging landscapes as an Ultra Terrain Vehicle as well as providing generous cargo capacity. Today Tuatara Machinery also produces an eTuatara fully electric UTV which is now selling at more than twice the rate as the petrol Tuatara. “We weren’t sure what the uptake would be, and whether Kiwi farmers would be keen to embrace the new zero emission electric culture,” Geoff says. “But the reverse has been the case, and we’re now selling about 70% electric and 30% petrol. We are finding that farmers are very much concerned about the environment and they are showing quite a bit of interest.” Geoff says the eTuatara is not comparable to any other off-road side-by-side in terms of where it can go, load handling, and towing capacity. It’s not a four-wheel motorbike but rather a purpose built utility vehicle designed for work, not recreation. It’s because of this that the Tuatara is an extremely versatile vehicle that lends itself to a wide range of different applications including farming, horticulture, agricultural contracting, beekeeping, adventure tourism, hunting, and a host of commercial and recreational pursuits. This is accentuated by the simplicity of the EV design, with no air intake, no carburation, and no exhaust system, as well as the extremely low servicing and running costs. “We are finding quite a lot of people outside of agriculture are also interested in our vehicles,” Geoff says. “Particularly the electric vehicle. We’ve got them at Auckland Airport, in the rail tunnel under construction under Queen Street, in Auckland, also at the Botanical Gardens in Dunedin, and at golf courses and retirement villages. There is a lot of interest in them, and a lot of opportunities for our vehicles.” Tuatara Machinery continues to evolve in response to customer feedback and Geoff and Qingmei are now working on more exciting projects and developments that are set to reach the marketplace later this year. RURAL SERVICES » Tuatara Machinery Limited ELECTRIC OR COMBUSTION? Powerful 15kW electric motor; Up to 220kms on a single charge; Huge 1.6m x 1.4m of deck space; Low, low, low running costs; Equipped with 2WD/4WD, diff locks; Regenerative braking for control on steep inclines; Battery repowering; Powerful 1,000cc, 3cyl. Engine, 69HP; All steel construction; Manual 5 x speed transmission; Electophoresis anti-corrosion treatment; Equipped with 2WD/4WD, diff locks; Huge towing & carrying capacity; Equipped with a catalytic converter for low emission operation; www.tuataraatv.com info@tuataraatv.com Tel. 027 477 0070 Machinery Limited ELECTRIC ENQUIRE NOW! INTERNAL COMBUSTION NZ’S LOWEST EMISSION COMBUSTION ENGINED SIDE BY SIDE THE MARKET LEADING EV SIDE BY SIDE Secondhand vehicles also available. Petrol EV ELECTRIC OR COMBUSTION? THE MARKET LEADING EV SIDE BY SIDE NZ’S LOWEST EMISSION COMBUSTION ENGINED SIDE BY SIDE Let us take care of your global transportation needs. Your shipping is in safe hands. • Sea Freight • Express & Air Freight • Freight Brokerage 03 366 7180 sales@compassglobal.nz www.compassglobal.nz • Customs Brokerage • Freight Consolidators • Specialised Handling Compass Global Logistics YOUR GLOBAL LOGI STICS PARTNER
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