Private EV Owners Create DIY Charging Stations For Public Use

Andrew Rabbitt’s at-home solar panels feed 5,000 watts of energy to a massive battery bank that electric-vehicle drivers across the West are using to charge their rides. He’s far from alone.

Rabbitt’s 10-acre property in Winnemucca, Nevada, sits on a dirt road about 10 miles south of Interstate 80, near a Baptist church and just down the road from a ranch that raises and sells livestock guardian dogs. After juicing his house and vehicle — an Airstream trailer and a 2017 Ford Focus EV — there’s still plenty of sun to go around. Rabbitt is happy for any passing EV driver ...