Trump Administration Delays Funding for EV Chargers | Carscoops

      The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program is currently on pause while awaiting new guidance.

      The Trump administration has put a halt to a program that financed electric vehicle chargers.

      While existing commitments will be fulfilled, any new commitments will be on hold until updated guidance is released.

      The revised program is anticipated to place a stronger emphasis on costs and benefits.

      The Trump administration's opposition to electric vehicles is intensifying as the Federal Highway Administration has essentially paused the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. This program allocates funding to states for the "strategic deployment of electric vehicle chargers and the establishment of an interconnected network that supports data collection, accessibility, and reliability."

      Although the program is not terminated, the Federal Highway Administration recently communicated with state transportation directors to inform them that the new leadership at the U.S. Department of Transportation has "opted to reassess the policies that govern the implementation of the NEVI" program. They noted that the Federal Highway Administration will be revising the program’s guidance to align with the new policies and priorities of the department.

      In addition, a new directive was mentioned that requires policies to be "grounded in sound economic principles and analyses backed by thorough cost-benefit assessments and data-driven decisions." The focus on emissions will also be diminished, as they stated that prior calculations exhibited “logical deficiencies” and “political biases.”

      Referring back to the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program, updated guidance is projected to be released this spring and will be open for public feedback. Meanwhile, the Federal Highway Administration is suspending the approval of all state plans immediately and will not make any new commitments until the revised guidance is available. Following that, states will need to submit new plans for approval.

      On a positive note, the government announced that “reimbursement of existing obligations will be permitted to avoid disruption of current financial commitments.” Nonetheless, states will not face penalties if they do not carry out their existing plans.

      Essentially, the $5 billion program is undergoing modifications and new funding will be postponed. How long this will take remains uncertain, but it would likely be difficult to eliminate the program as it was included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.