Off-grid EV owners charge cars from solar and their own creek

The Driven

Electric vehicles owners Peter and Robyn Tuft have been pushing the boundaries of off-grid living, powering not only their home in pristine southern Tasmania but also their EVs from the sun and their own seasonal creek.

The two retired nature-lovers took the plunge into off-grid living around five years ago.

Their award-winning house uses a very small amount of energy – about 5-7kWh a day, powered by a 4kW solar system and a mini-hydro that generates up to 800W of power when the creek is running.

“We’re keen to minimise our personal CO2 impact,” says Peter Tuft, and says while the home is very energy efficient, it has not meant a compromise.

“It’s very comfortable …. but after we’d been here for a little we while thought, we have some surplus power,” he says.

So the couple added not just one, but two electric vehicles to their household. The first purchase was a secondhand Mitsubishi i-Miev in 2016 (now 10 years old) and a brand new Long Range (LR) Model 3 in 2019.

Tuft says the LR Model 3, which has a 75kWh battery, is pushing the limits of their off-grid setup, but says the couple haven’t looked back and are now thrilled they can proudly say that both their home and vehicles emit no carbon.

To read the full version of this story – and view the photo gallery – on RenewEconomy’s electric vehicle dedicated site, The Driven, click here…

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