Feders stop the National Electric Vehicle Charging Program

The US department of transport has ordered countries to kill their implementation plans related to National Infrastructure Program of Electric VehiclesAccording to a note obtained by Wired that was later announced publiclyS The decision seems to be stopping in its tracks for $ 5 billion designed to finance state -owned installation projects electric vehicle Charging stations in the United States.

Officials from the Federal Administration of Highways (FHWA), which manages the program, ordered the state -owned directors to “dessert” the plans that all 50 countries have used to outline where and how they will build their charging stations and with what companies they will conclude. Countries follow these plans to build more than 30 charging stations in the United States, with hundreds more on the road.

Studies show that potential car buyers cite the lagging infrastructure for charging electric vehicles in the country as a major reason not to buy electric. The Nevi program created by The infrastructure law of 2021.It was the government’s answer to these concerns. It Attempts to build chargers About thousands of miles of the Federal Highway, with an emphasis on places that otherwise cannot support financial charger.

According to the note, transport officers in president Donald Trump The administration will write all the new guidelines for the program, which will then go through a period of public comment. The timeline suggests that work on federal financing of the electricity charger network can be paused for months.

The order may be illegal. He may fly before the court orders requesting the Trump administration to “excavate” a financing pause that prevents federal money from flowing to government agencies. It may also violate the Administrative Procedure Act, which requires agencies to follow legal procedures before taking action.

“There is no legal basis for funds that have been allocated in countries for the construction of projects that are” decerted “based on policy,” says Andrew Rogers, a former deputy admin and chief advisor to the highway federal administration.

The US point did not immediately respond to a request for a comment.

It is not clear how the DOT order will affect the loading stations that are being built. In the letter, FHWA employees say that “no new obligations can arise”, which suggests that countries cannot sign new contracts with business, even if these countries have been granted federal funding. The letter also states that “will be allowed to restore existing obligations” as the program goes through a review process, suggesting that they may be allowed to pay the business that has already provided services.

Billions in federal funding have already been paid under the program. The money has gone to both red and blue. Last year’s best recipients included Florida, New York, Texas, Georgia and Ohio.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has spent the last few weeks at the head of the federal so -called Ministry of Government Efficiency Audit guidance and shortening of federal costs. But his electric car company has won $ 31 million awards from the Nevi program, according to A database maintained by transport employees, representing 6 percent of the money awarded so far.

The Trump administration said it plans to target electric vehicles and EV -related programs. An An enforcement order signed by Trump On his first day, the office is supposed to have removed the “term of EV”, although such a federal policy has never existed.

Nevi’s projects took more time to get off the ground than any other construction of charging stations, as the Federal Government was deliberate in allocating funding for companies with experience in documentation, which can prove that it can build or operate a fee says Ryan McKinnon, spokesman for spokesman for spokesman for spokesman for speaker of speaker speaker speaker spokesman spokesman for spokesman spokesman spokesman spokesman speaker speaker speaker speaker speaker speaker speaker speaker speaker spokesman of spokesman for spokesman for spokesman for spokesman for spokesman for spokesman for spokesman for spokesman for spokesman of a spokesman for Ryan McKinnon Passing PartnershipA group of business and organizations working in charging electric vehicles. If NEVI’s financing is not paid, “businesses that have spent time or money in investing in this program will be hurt,” he says.

Update, February 6 from 8:00 pm: We added a link to the FHWA note after it became public. We also added an additional context that Tesla has received awards from Nevi.