Peter - From Prius to All-Electric

It’s always been about CO2 and minimizing our contribution to climate change. The 2007 Prius was our gateway drug to electric transportation – trying to keep the engine from burning gas is just so much easier if you get rid of the engine 😊. So, in 2011, we got our first Nissan Leaf, and it’s been a one-way street ever since.

The solar panels from 2010 deliver enough juice during the course of the year to drive about 12,000 miles, and whatever electricity we buy from PGE comes from renewable sources, so all transportation became fossil-fuel-free, even as we replaced another gas car with an EV, and then added another EV as the kids started driving.

With the water heater, stove, and clothes dryer all running on electricity, the gas furnace was the only remaining CO2 polluter. In the end, climate change itself forced the move: after working from home throughout the 2021 summer heatwave, it was clear that we would need A/C going forward, so we opted for a cold-climate heatpump with electric backup furnace to replace the existing furnace. As a side benefit, having the gas line cut also removes an earthquake fire risk.