Trump administration halts $5 billion EV charging program

The Trump administration has paused a USD 5 billion initiative to build electric vehicle charging stations by telling states not to spend federal funds allocated to them by the Biden administration for the purpose.  

In a memo, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) instructed state transportation directors that the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program is under review. The agency indicated that while some ongoing projects may receive funding, “no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program.” 

The FHWA said the NEVI program will be updated to “align with current U.S. DOT [Department of Transportation] policy and priorities.”  

“Effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program until the updated final NEVI Formula Program Guidance is issued and new State plans are submitted and approved,” Emily Biondi, FHWA’s associate administrator for planning, environment and realty, wrote in the memo.

The program was established by Congress as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, in 2021. Since it was passed with bipartisan support, attempts to overturn it could be challenged in the courts. 

The program was part of the Biden administration’s plan to enhance access to charging stations.  

The goal was to build a network of highways with EV charging stations every 50 miles and boost the US’s transition away from gas and diesel cars. So far more than 50 stations were functional and hundreds of other sites had been identified. 

President Donald Trump frequently targeted the NEVI program on the campaign trail. 

Andrew Rogers, a deputy FHWA administrator in the Biden administration, said in a text message that the new letter “appears to ignore both the law and multiple restraining orders that have been issued by federal courts,” according to a report by Politico.