Login to Continue Learning
President Donald Trump’s administration blocked the spending on this project, which sought to place potentially thousands of chargers at gas stations, rest stops, and other locations no more than 50 miles apart from one another. A coalition of Democrat-led states and nonprofits has sued to get the funding restarted, but there has been no final decision yet. As a result, the installations remain on hold.
“Halting the funding sets us all back, and it’s simply wrong,” Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, stated in an August 6 statement announcing his state’s involvement in the ongoing lawsuit. “Electric and hybrid vehicles are no longer the technology of the future; they’re here now, and this technology is only becoming more important to our families and businesses.”
The plan was funded by the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and aimed to ease concerns about recharging during road trips. Federal statistics show that there are approximately 3.5 million electric vehicles in use out of a total of 287 million vehicles in the United States. Many potential buyers have cited “range anxiety” as a reason for not switching to EVs.
The Trump administration’s decision has had no effect on privately funded charging sites, such as those built by Tesla. This pause also coincides with a public falling out between President Trump and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. In July, Trump said he opposes “ridiculous” efforts to make people drive electric vehicles if they don’t want to.
A federal General Accounting Office report noted significant delays in the project due to complex approval processes involving state and federal highway officials, private property owners, and the installation of new high-capacity overhead power lines. The report suggested that the process would become more efficient over time as state-level administrators gained experience managing installations.
The GAO also pointed out that there were about 77,000 publicly available charging stations nationwide in May, but most of them are slower, older models that take longer to charge EV batteries. In comparison, there are around 150,000 gas stations across the country according to the National Association of Convenience Stores.
Ryan McKinnon, a spokesman for the Charge Ahead Partnership—a coalition of grocers, convenience stores, and fuel retailers—explained that the $7.5 billion in funding is “only a drop in the bucket” compared to what’s actually needed to build out a network convenient for customers. However, he expressed optimism that the federal government would release the withheld funds alongside new rules to make it easier for businesses to access.
“The end goal is to provide pro-business support and help entrepreneurs who want to offer this new service get their foot in the door,” McKinnon said.
📚 Reading Comprehension Quiz
What was the main reason for the pause in funding for electric vehicle charging stations under President Trump's administration?
Please login or register to take the quiz and earn points!
