Key Takeaways:
- Sixteen states and the District of Columbia are suing the Trump administration for withholding over $2 billion in funding for electric vehicle charging programs.
- The lawsuit claims that the Trump administration’s actions are unlawful and will hinder the fight against air pollution and climate change.
- The Trump administration has been hostile to electric vehicles and has dismantled several Biden-era policies friendly to cleaner cars and trucks.
- The lawsuit addresses the withholding of funds for two programs: the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant program and the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator program.
- The Trump administration has proposed rolling back tailpipe emissions rules and gas mileage standards, and has eliminated fines to automakers for not meeting those standards.
Introduction to the Lawsuit
The Trump administration is facing a new lawsuit from sixteen states and the District of Columbia over the withholding of over $2 billion in funding for electric vehicle charging programs. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, claims that the Trump administration’s actions are unlawful and will hinder the fight against air pollution and climate change. The states, led by California and Colorado, argue that the funding was obligated to them by Congress under former President Joe Biden, but that the Department of Transportation and Federal Highway Administration are "impounding" the funds.
The Trump Administration’s Hostility to Electric Vehicles
The Trump administration has been hostile to electric vehicles and has dismantled several Biden-era policies friendly to cleaner cars and trucks. In February, the administration ordered states to halt spending money for electric vehicle charging that was allocated in the bipartisan infrastructure law passed under the previous administration. This move was met with resistance from states, which filed a lawsuit in May against the administration for withholding the funding from the $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program. A federal judge later ordered the administration to release much of the funding for chargers in more than a dozen states.
The Lawsuit and Its Implications
The lawsuit filed on Tuesday addresses the withholding of funds for two programs: the $1.8 billion Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Grant program and the $350 million Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator program. The states argue that the Trump administration’s actions will slow innovation, thwart green job creation, and leave communities without access to clean, affordable transportation. The lawsuit is led by attorneys general from California and Colorado, joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia, and the governor of Pennsylvania.
The Trump Administration’s Regulatory Changes
The Trump administration has proposed rolling back both tailpipe emissions rules and gas mileage standards, and has eliminated fines to automakers for not meeting those standards. The administration has also repeated incorrect information about the status of the federal charging programs, claiming that only a fraction of the obligated funds have been spent. President Trump has stated that the previous administration’s electric vehicle mandate was unrealistic and that the cost of building charging infrastructure was too high. However, the states argue that the Trump administration’s actions will hinder the development of electric vehicle infrastructure and slow the transition to cleaner transportation.
The Impact on the Electric Vehicle Industry
The lawsuit comes amid a slowdown in electric vehicle sales in the U.S., as mainstream buyers remain concerned about charging availability and the price of the vehicles. New electric vehicles sold for an average of $58,638 last month, compared with $49,814 for a new vehicle overall. Automakers have responded to consumers accordingly, with Ford Motor Co. announcing that it was pivoting away from its once-ambitious electrification strategy in favor of more hybrid-electric and fuel-efficient gasoline-powered vehicles. Honda Motor Co. has also taken a significant step back from its electric vehicle efforts. The Trump administration’s actions are likely to further hinder the development of the electric vehicle industry, which could have significant implications for the environment and the economy.
Conclusion
The lawsuit filed by sixteen states and the District of Columbia against the Trump administration highlights the ongoing battle over electric vehicle policy in the U.S. The Trump administration’s hostility to electric vehicles and its dismantling of Biden-era policies friendly to cleaner cars and trucks have significant implications for the environment and the economy. The lawsuit argues that the Trump administration’s actions are unlawful and will hinder the fight against air pollution and climate change. As the electric vehicle industry continues to evolve, it is likely that the Trump administration’s actions will have a lasting impact on the development of electric vehicle infrastructure and the transition to cleaner transportation.