In their 19th lawsuit against the Trump administration, a coalition of Democratic attorneys general sued to restore federal funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

The lawsuit stems from the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that appropriated $5 billion for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program to expand the number of publicly available chargers in the country. In February, the Federal Highway Administration suspended its approval of states’ EV charger deployments, saying they didn’t align with current U.S. Department of Transportation priorities.

What You Need To Know

  • In their 19th lawsuit against the Trump administration, a coalition of Democratic attorneys general sued to restore federal funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure

  • The lawsuit stems from the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that appropriated $5 billion for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program to expand the number of publicly available chargers in the country

  • In February, the Federal Highway Administration suspended its approval of states’ EV charger deployments, saying they didn’t align with current U.S. Department of Transportation priorities

  • Filed by the attorneys general for Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont and the District of Columbia, the lawsuit is asking the court to permanently stop the Trump administration from withholding EV charger funding

“Once again, Trump’s actions go beyond the scope of his presidential power,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said at a news conference Wednesday announcing the lawsuit. 

The complaint alleges the Federal Highway Administration's actions are unconstitutional because they violate the separation of powers doctrine among the branches of government by canceling congressionally approved funding. It states only Congress has the authority to determine the amounts each state is due for EV infrastructure funding.

Filed by the attorneys general for Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Washington, Wisconsin, Vermont and the District of Columbia, the lawsuit is asking the court to permanently stop the Trump administration from withholding EV charger funding.

“President Trump’s illegal action withholding funds for electric vehicle infrastructure is yet another Trump gift to China — ceding American innovation and killing thousands of jobs,” California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement after the lawsuit was filed. 

The Federal Highway Administration acknowledged receipt of a request for comment but has not yet provided a statement in response to the lawsuit.