Carbon DC powers first fully off-grid ZEV fast charging station in Baker

By AI, Created 3:36 PM UTC, May 26, 2026, /AGP/ – Carbon DC and PowerStation Charging opened what they call America’s first fully off-grid, 100% solar-powered DC fast charging station in Baker, California, along the I-15 corridor. The site is designed to cut grid dependence for long-distance EV travel and is the first of four planned PowerStation locations.

Why it matters: - The Baker, California site is a test case for EV charging that does not rely on the electric grid. - The station is positioned midway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, a high-traffic corridor where fast charging access matters for long-distance travel. - The project aims to show that solar plus battery storage can support DC fast charging in places where grid hookups are costly or slow.

What happened: - Carbon DC announced a collaboration with PowerStation Charging to deploy a fully off-grid DC fast charging station at 65857 Rasor Road off I-15 in Baker, California. - The station is open to the public 24/7 and is free to use for a limited time. - Carbon DC describes the installation as the first in a planned series of fully off-grid, 100% solar-powered charging stations on California interstate corridors.

The details: - The site uses a 1,080-panel solar array rated at 642 kW DC. - A 3.5 MWh battery pack supports round-the-clock charging without a grid connection. - Four CCS1 ports are live now and share 360 kW of output. - Six NACS ports and 600 kW of shared capacity are planned for later this summer. - Drivers do not need an app, membership or subscription to charge. - The system uses PV, battery storage and DC fast chargers connected through a DC bus and DC/DC converters. - The architecture is designed to remove AC equipment and extra power-conversion steps. - The system is built to support megawatt-scale charging, with speeds up to 1.2 MW.

Between the lines: - The project reflects a push to build charging infrastructure where utility interconnection is difficult or expensive. - Falling solar and storage costs are making off-grid charging more practical for developers seeking faster deployment. - Carbon DC is also positioning its DC-native approach as a way to reduce peak demand charges and improve resiliency for charging and other energy users. - The companies frame the station as proof that off-grid infrastructure can work for high-demand EV use cases, not just remote or low-power applications.

What’s next: - The Baker station is the first of four planned PowerStation sites using Carbon DC’s off-grid charging infrastructure. - A second I-15 site in Barstow is scheduled to open later in 2026. - Two more stations on the I-10 and I-8 corridors are planned for 2027. - Carbon DC says the same architecture can be deployed in other charging, commercial real estate and utility settings across the U.S. and Canada.

The bottom line: - Carbon DC and PowerStation are betting that fully off-grid, solar-powered fast charging can scale beyond a single pilot and become a repeatable model for interstate EV travel.