Feds Halt the National Electric Vehicle Charging Program

US Department Transport ordered the States to kill their implementation plans related to the national electric vehicle infrastructure program, according to the note received by Wired, which was later published. This decision, according to, stops in its tracks of the program worth $ 5 billion intended to finance state projects to install charging electric vehicles throughout the United States.

Officials of the Federal Administration of the highway (FHWA), which controls the program, ordered the directors of state vehicles to “protect” plans that all 50 states used to describe where and how they will build their charging stations, and with which companies they will be a contract for this . The states followed these plans for the construction of more than 30 charging stations throughout the United States, which are hundreds of more.

Polls show that potential car buyers refer to the infrastructure of charging electric vehicles in the country as the main reason why they will not buy electricity. The NEVI program, created for the 2021 infrastructure law, was the government’s response to these fears. He is trying to build chargers along thousands of miles of the federal highway with an emphasis on places that otherwise cannot financially support the charger.

The note says that the officials of transport in the administration of President Donald Trump will write all the new leadership for the program, which will then hold the public discussion. The temporary scale offers work on the federal network of chargers for electric vehicles financed by the federation can be suspended within a few months.

The order may be illegal. He can fly in the face of court orders, demanding that the Trump administration “shared”, a pause of financing, which prevents the transfer of federal money to state institutions. It can also violate the law on administrative procedures, which requires institutions to follow legal procedures before taking measures.

“There is no legal basis for funds that were distributed in the States to create projects,“ defective ”based on politics,” says Andrew Rogers, the former deputy administrator and the chief administration of the Federal Administration of the Federal Highway Administration.

US DOT did not immediately respond to a request about the comment.

It is unclear how the order of the point will affect the charging stations that are under construction. In a letter, FHWA officials write that “no new obligations can arise”, suggesting that states cannot sign new contracts with enterprises, even if these states were allocated by federal financing. The letter also states that “compensation for existing obligations will be permitted”, since the program undergoes the consideration process, assuming that states may be allowed to return the enterprises that have already provided services.

Billions of federal financing have already been paid as part of the program. Money went to both red and blue states. The best recipients of financing last year included Florida, New York, Texas, Georgia and Ohio.

Tesla General Director Elon Musk spent the last few weeks at the head of the Federal Department of the Government, who directs the Audita and a reduction in federal expenses. But its electric car company received 31 million US dollars as awards from the NEVI program, according to the database supported by transport officials, which account for 6 percent of the money that has still been awarded.

The Trump administration said that it plans to aim at electric cars and programs related to EV. The order signed by Trump, on his first day in the position, in which the liquidation of the “Mandate EV” was sent, although such a federal policy never existed.

NEVI projects took more time to get off the place than other charging stations, because the federal government was intended in the distribution of funding to companies with service records that they can prove that they can build or operate charging stations, says Ryan McKinnon, a preliminary representative representative . Partnership, a group of enterprises and organizations that work in charging electric vehicles. If nevi financing was not paid, “enterprises that have spent time or money, investing in this program, will suffer,” he says.

Update, February 6 at 8 pm: We added a link to the FHWA memorandum as soon as it was released. We also added an additional context that Tesla received awards from NEVI.