In keeping with one of President Donald Trump’s initial orders to reduce US subsidies for plug-in vehicles once he retook office, the Trump administration is stopping federal support for electric car chargers.
In a letter published online, the Federal Highway Administration of the US Department of Transportation stated that it is delaying the approval of funds from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program that were supposed to be disbursed to states. These funds are primarily used to install chargers along the interstate highway system.
FHWA did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Under former President Joe Biden, Congress passed a bipartisan infrastructure package in 2021 that included the NEVI program. In an attempt to accelerate the adoption of plug-in automobiles, it allotted $5 billion over five years to build chargers in every state.
One of the main tenets of Trump’s economic policy is the revocation of Biden’s pro-EV policies. He pledged during his July speech at the Republican National Convention to “end the electric vehicle mandate from day one” of his second term in office.
The DOT has also taken steps to amend the strict US fuel-economy regulations that were approved under Biden after Trump took office. The halt of chargers “creates great uncertainty for the billions of dollars states and private companies are investing in the urgently needed infrastructure to support America’s highway transportation network,” according to a statement sent by Ryan Gallentine, managing director of Advanced Energy United, a group that advocates for EV manufacturers.
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc., which has the biggest network of EV chargers in the US, is also the leader of Trump’s government efficiency team.
