States sue the Trump administration for blocking funds for electric
vehicle charging
[May 08, 2025] By
SOPHIE AUSTIN and ALEXA ST. JOHN
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Seventeen states are suing President Donald
Trump 's administration for withholding billions of dollars for building
more electric vehicle chargers, according to a federal lawsuit announced
Wednesday.
The Trump administration in February directed states to stop spending
money for electric vehicle charging infrastructure that was allocated
under President Joe Biden — part of a broader push by the Republican
president to roll back environmental policies advanced by his Democratic
predecessor. The EV charger program was set to allocate $5 billion over
five years to various states, of which an estimated $3.3 billion had
already been made available.
The lawsuit is led by attorneys general from California, Colorado and
Washington, and challenges the Federal Highway Administration's
authority to halt the funding. They argue Congress, which approved the
money in 2021 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, holds that
authority.
"These funds were going to be used to shape the future of
transportation,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said, calling it
“short-sighted” of Trump to revoke the funds.
“We won’t sit back while the Trump administration violates the law,”
Bonta, a Democrat, said.
The U.S. Department of Transportation did not respond to a request for
comment on the lawsuit.
EVs stood at about 8% of new car sales in the U.S. last year, according
to Motorintelligence.com, a sign the market is growing — although the
pace has slowed as the auto industry tries to convince mainstream buyers
about going electric. The program was meant to assuage some concerns and
build infrastructure along highway corridors first, then address gaps
elsewhere once the state highway obligations were met.
Some states with projects running under the program have already been
reimbursed by the Biden-era federal funds. Others are still contracting
for their sites. Still more had halted their plans by the time the Trump
administration ordered states to stop their spending. Regardless,
getting these chargers installed and operating has been a slow process
with contracting challenges, permitting delays and complex electrical
upgrades.
It was expected that states would fight against the federal government’s
efforts to slow the nation’s electric vehicle charger buildout. New
York, for example, which is part of the suit, has been awarded over $175
million in federal funds from the program, and state officials say $120
million is currently being withheld by the Trump administration.
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Electric vehicle chargers are seen in the parking lot of South El
Monte High School in South El Monte, Calif., Aug. 26, 2022. (AP
Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)
 Even the electric carmaker Tesla,
run by Elon Musk, who has spearheaded Trump’s Department of
Government Efficiency efforts to cut federal spending, benefited
greatly from funding under the program, receiving millions of
dollars to expand its already-massive footprint of chargers in the
U.S.
Despite threats to the program, experts have said
they expect the nation’s EV charging buildout to continue as
automakers look to make good on massive electrification ambitions.
Consumers thinking about buying an EV often cite concerns about the
availability of charging infrastructure. It's a hurdle for people
living in multifamily dwellings and in rural areas, or what are
otherwise known as “charging deserts.” It's also a problem for
people who can't find a place to charge their vehicle near their
work, or who often drive longer highway routes.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said withholding the
funds was illegal and would kill thousands of U.S. jobs, ceding them
to China.
"Instead of hawking Teslas on the White House lawn, President Trump
could actually help Elon — and the nation — by following the law and
releasing this bipartisan funding,” Newsom said, referencing Trump's
recent purchase of a Tesla in a show of support for Musk.
The Trump administration’s effort to withdraw funding for electric
vehicle chargers is part of a broader push to roll back
environmental policies advanced under Biden.
During Trump’s first week back in office, he signed executive orders
to pull the U.S. out of the Paris climate agreement again, reverse a
2030 target for electric vehicles to make up half of new cars sold,
and end environmental justice efforts. At the same time, federal
agencies under Trump have rolled back key rules and regulations and
supported the build-out of the fossil fuel industry.
The U.S. House also advanced proposals last week aimed at blocking
California from enforcing vehicle-emission rules, including a ban on
the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. The Senate parliamentarian
says the California policies are not subject to the review mechanism
used by the House.
___
St. John reported from Detroit.
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