Another Day, Another EV Charging Lawsuit Against Trump

The article discusses ongoing legal battles involving the Trump administration's handling of federal electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure funds. Eighteen states, led by attorneys general including California’s Rob Bonta and Pennsylvania’s representatives, are suing the Trump administration for withholding funds from two key EV charging programs established under the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA). These programs include the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, a $5 billion initiative aimed at creating a fast-charging network along major highways, and two other programs: the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program (CFI) and the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator Program. The lawsuit alleges that the administration’s refusal to release these funds violates the constitutional separation of powers, as the funding was approved by bipartisan majorities in Congress. Despite some progress under the NEVI program before Trump took office—only eight states had operational charging stations by July 2024, with plans for thousands more—the Trump administration attempted to halt the program shortly after the