Judge Rules Trump Administration Can't Withhold EV Charging Funds
16 states along with the District of Columbia have filed suit against the federal government.
The back-and-forth between states and the federal government regarding the previous administration's charging infrastructure funding saw its latest step this week as a US district judge has blocked the Trump government from withholding money from 14 states.
Seattle, Washington judge Tana Lin ruled on Tuesday the states had a legal leg to stand on as they had already dedicated their own budgets to building out infrastructure with the expectation of further support from the feds, per Reuters. Thus, Lin expects a lawsuit to favor the states, as they were harmed by the $5 billion program being rescinded. There is however a carve-out: Minnesota, Vermont, and the District of Columbia did not provide proof that the Transport Department decision had immediately financially harmed them.
Lin's ruling goes into effect after one week. While it's possible the federal government will relent, the more likely course of action is its own appeal to block Lin's ruling.
The Trump administration has made EVs a target since day one, under the guise of improving customer choice. Just this month, Senate republicans put forward a bill that would end the $7,500 EV tax credit by year's end, and immediately for leases of EVs built outside North America. It's been an uphill battle both legally and financially: the admin's move to turn off government building electric chargers and sell off fleet EVs could cost nearly $1 billion.
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Kyle began his automotive obsession before he even started school, courtesy of a remote control Porsche and various LEGO sets. He later studied advertising and graphic design at Humber College, which led him to writing about cars (both real and digital). He is now a proud member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), where he was the Journalist of the Year runner-up for 2021.
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