In brief
The lawsuit points to critical funding for expanding charging infrastructure, slamming the president's actions as unconstitutional.
The states of Washington, Colorado, and California have united to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging it has unlawfully withheld billions in federal funding designated for electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the United States. The funds stem from the bipartisan infrastructure law passed in 2021, which allocated $5 billion to bolster the construction of EV charging infrastructure. However, to date, only 71 charging stations have been completed, with more still in the planning stages, according to Atlas Public Policy research.The legal action was initiated in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington in Seattle and claims that various federal agencies have frozen these funds and are blocking approvals for new charging stations. This, the states argue, is severely impacting their ability to expand necessary EV infrastructure and is detrimental to the flourishing electric vehicle market.Recent remarks from the White House budget proposal indicated a move to cancel funding for what it referred to as “failed electric-vehicle-charger grant programs.” In a related executive order issued in January, President Trump had already targeted this program, with the Transportation Department following up with a similar directive in February. However, the lawsuit emphasizes that any substantial cuts to this funding would require Congressional approval.California Attorney General Rob Bonta heavily criticized the administration's stance, stating, “The president continues his unconstitutional attempts to withhold funding that Congress appropriated to programs he dislikes,” and accused Trump of aiding his connections in the oil industry by pulling the funds. California has sold nearly two million zero-emission vehicles, accounting for one-third of the national total, and has been relying on approximately $384 million from federal grants specifically for expanding its EV charging facilities, according to Bonta's office.
