Spectrum News by Susan Carpenter 12/16/2025
A coalition of 17 attorneys general and one state sued the Trump administration Tuesday to restore federal funding for electric vehicle chargers. The lawsuit contends the Department of Transportation has stopped approving new funding for two EV charging infrastructure programs created through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enacted during the Biden administration.
What You Need To Know
• A coalition of 17 Democratic attorneys general and one state sued the Trump administration Tuesday to restore federal funding for electric vehicle chargers
• The lawsuit contends the Department of Transportation has stopped approving new funding for two EV charging infrastructure programs created through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act enacted during the Biden administration
• At issue are two federal programs run by the U.S. Department of Transportation: the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program that provides grants to build a national EV charging network and the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator Program that helps repair, replace and improve broken or non-functioning public chargers
• Like the earlier EV charger case, Tuesday’s lawsuit alleges the Trump administration’s refusal to spend Congressionally allocated funds for EV infrastructure is unlawful because it violates the separation of powers
“This isn’t about party politics," California Attorney General Rob Bonta said during a news conference announcing the lawsuit — the state’s 50th against the Trump administration in 2025. "It’s about the future of our country, our economy and our planet.
“Trump is putting the brakes on projects that would reduce planet-warming pollution and smog, expand access to clean vehicles and create thousands of green jobs," he said. "And in doing so, he’s running over the co-equal branch of Congress that holds the purse strings in this country and under the Constitution.”
At issue are two federal programs run by the U.S. Department of Transportation: the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program that provides grants to build a national EV charging network and the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator Program that helps repair, replace and improve broken or non-functioning public chargers. Together the programs provide about $3 billion in funding nationwide, Bonta said.
More:
https://spectrumlocalnews.com/us/snplus/politics/2025/12/16/attorneys-general-sue-trump-administration-over-ev-charger-funding