Feds putting the kibosh on national EV charging program

“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.

This story originally appeared on wired.com.