States Sue the Government Over Withdrawn EV Charging Station Funds

A group of 17 states led by California, Colorado and Washington are suing the government over billions of dollars in funds for EV charging stations.

A lawsuit filed in a Seattle district court cites a 2021 bipartisan $5 billion infrastructure program that was meant to build out charging stations across the US. As recently as early February, that money was expected to continue to roll out to states to add stations. Since then, however, some funds for the program were paused and experts have said that shutting down government-funded EV stations could have its own costs that run to $1 billion.

The suit says the Federal Highway Administration, under orders from the presidential administration, is holding back billions that were allocated by Congress.

“In total, as of February 6, 2025, the FHWA made $3.27 billion available for obligation for fiscal years 2022 through 2025, including approximately $1.1 billion made available for obligation to Plaintiff States,” it says.

“In total, the FHWA is withholding approximately $2.74 billion of the $3.27 million in NEVI Formula Program funds available to the States for obligation for fiscal years 2022 through 2025. Collectively, Plaintiff States have been immediately and indefinitely deprived of access to approximately $1 billion in available NEVI Formula Program funds for those four fiscal years.”

Representatives for the White House and the FHWA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.   

The move to electric vehicles has been steady as more manufacturers have released improved models with better range and features over the years. More than 300,000 EVs were sold in the US from January to March. Charging stations, which allow EV drivers more mobility over long distances, are a key part of the transition. And the switch to EVs has been cited as a major driver of combating climate change globally. 

Since becoming president in January, Trump has attempted to halt progress on many Biden-era climate-forward initiatives. As with the EV chargers lawsuit, states and cities are stepping in to take action on climate due to a lack of national leadership on the issue.