Forest Lodge Orchard's electric Monarch tractor attracted plenty of attention, Tesla's Cybertruck was a hit with the kids and showed what modern electric technology is capable of, huge electric machine offered a good example of what's possible at the big end of town, and Nomad Safaris' electric bus proved to other tour operators that their next people movers should be electric.

Events like this show how engrained fossil fuels are, but it's important to recognise that many of these machines played a crucial role in our progress and have been essential for developing our roads, suburbs, cities and economies.

For many in attendance this event was more about passions than practicalities; more about an emotional connection than an economic equation. As Rewiring Aotearoa CEO Mike Casey often says, electrify everything you don't love. Keep your vintage cars (or even better, electrify them) but maybe upgrade your gas hot water heater.

For those running farms or businesses, however, it's a different calculation. If there is a machine available that can do the same job at a lower cost, you'd be mad not to explore that option - and in a range of different areas, this is now what electric machines offer, especially if you fuel them with solar.

Technologies change and, as many mechanically-minded pragmatists mentioned to our team, it's pretty clear where things are heading.

Some are willing to take the risk and try out a new technology early. Most want to wait until it becomes 'normal', but it's dangerous to wait too long and it can be costly to invest in the wrong tech. So make your next machine electric.

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