16 States Sue Federal Government Over Pause in Funds for EV Charging Stations

California leads the coalition seeking to access $1.8 billion in funding to build EV charging stations.

A truck drives by an electric vehicle charging station in London, Ohio, on March 8, 2024. Joshua A. Bickel/AP Photo

A coalition of states is suing the Trump administration to access funds frozen by the president this year for electric vehicle charging station installations.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta is leading the group of 16 states and the District of Columbia in the lawsuit filed on Dec. 16.

“The Trump Administration’s illegal attempt to stop funding for electric vehicle infrastructure must come to an end,” Bonta said in a statement. “This is just another reckless attempt that will stall the fight against air pollution and climate change, slow innovation, thwart green job creation, and leave communities without access to clean, affordable transportation.”

President Donald Trump paused the funds through his executive order titled “Unleashing American Energy,” issued on Jan. 20, his first day in office.

In one section focused on terminating certain policies from the former administration, Trump directed all federal agencies to “immediately pause the disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 ... or the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.”

The suspension of funds included halting grant funding for electric vehicle charging stations, according to the lawsuit.

As a result, the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration indefinitely suspended the grant funds.

The states’ lawsuit against the Trump administration challenges the federal government for suspending the two grant programs, which it alleges has placed $1.8 billion in federal awards in jeopardy.

The states involved in the lawsuit are California, Colorado, Washington, Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin, along with the District of Columbia.

An electric Audi sports utility vehicle charges at a public fast charger in Los Angeles on May 16, 2024. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Fewer than 70 EV charging stations funded by $7.5 billion in federal infrastructure programs since 2021 were operational across the United States as of April this year, according to the Government Accounting Office (GAO). These stations contain fewer than 400 charging ports.

As of May, there were around 219,000 publicly accessible electric vehicle charging ports throughout the nation, the GAO reported in July. About 3.5 million of the nation’s 287 million vehicles were electric in 2023.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the programs were approved by Congress to build America’s EV charging network, reduce pollution, and create thousands of jobs.

“We won’t stand for it,” Newsom said in a statement. “With 2.4 million zero-emission vehicles on our roads and critical projects ready to move forward, we’re taking this to court.”