New terrain for ATEVs: Sonoma Valley vineyards

Chris Holman, operations manager at Gundlach Bundschu Winery, tries out the new electric all-terrain-vehicle from Electric Vehicle Systems in the winery’s vineyards.
Photo by Dyann Espinosa

The wine industry in Sonoma Valley got the first look last week at a brand new means of transportation that can be used in their vineyards. The makers of the ATEV 28, an electric all-terrain vehicle, demonstrated their new product in the fields at the Gundlach-Bundschu Winery off Demark Street.
Chris Holman, operations manager at Gundlach Bundschu, put the ATEV through its paces in the vines and hills of the winery. “We have been looking for a vehicle like this to get away from gas-powered transportation in the vineyards,” he said. “It’s better for the vines and the environment, it’s quieter and it’s easy to use.”
The ATEV was built to handle steep inclines as well as rocky and muddy conditions, and can pull loads of up to 1,000 pounds. It has three times the torque of a similarly sized gas ATV and can reach speeds of up to 42 mph. The ATEV gets 20 miles per charge in power mode and 30 miles per charge in economy mode, equaling about one cent per mile.
The ATEV 28 will be available the end of December through Sonoma Segway, a local retailer and distributor of eco-friendly vehicles.