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A coalition of 16 states and Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Trump administration for suspending a $5 billion electric vehicle charging initiative.
The suit targets the Department of Transportation, Transport Secretary Sean Duffy, the Federal Highway Administration, and its Acting Administrator Gloria M. Shepherd, over the abrupt halt of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula program.
NEVI was established under the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and was a central component of the Biden administration’s push for a national EV charging network.
Tesla was one of its top recipients, receiving $31 million to expand its Supercharger network in partnership with public initiatives.
However, an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on his first day back in office directed federal agencies to freeze funds allocated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
The lawsuit, backed by states including California and Colorado, argues that the executive branch does not have the authority to withhold or redirect the funding, and that the FHWA unlawfully revoked funds that Congress had directed to states for building infrastructure.
The plaintiffs said that the FHWA’s action to immediately freeze more than $2.7 billion in NEVI funds disrupted projects already under contract or in planning, causing long-term financial and logistical harm.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom criticized the move, calling it “another Trump gift to China.”
Newsom added that “instead of hawking Teslas on the White House lawn, President Trump could actually help Elon — and the nation — by following the law and releasing this bipartisan funding.”
Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser said that the Department of Transportation was “breaking the law” by withholding funding.
“Congress had the foresight to authorize funding to build this important infrastructure, and it must be restored immediately,” he said. “I will not hesitate to take them to court to ensure they follow the law.”
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