United States Reintroduces Electric Vehicle Charging Station Subsidy Plan

According to foreign media reports, after a U.S. federal court halted the Department of Transportation's previous move to freeze funding for the construction of electric vehicle charging stations, the Trump administration issued new guidelines clarifying how states can use federal funds to advance the development of EV charging infrastructure.

The U.S. Department of Transportation stated that the new guidelines will simplify the application process and reduce cumbersome procedures to facilitate states' applications for the $5 billion in funding for charging infrastructure construction under the program, which will be phased out by 2026. The updated policy removes some previous requirements, such as ensuring that disadvantaged communities have access to electric vehicle charging stations and encouraging the use of union labor during the installation of charging facilities.

Image source: Tesla

The new guidelines also eliminate the requirement for states to address “consumer protection, emergency evacuation plans, environmental siting, disaster resilience, and topographical considerations” in their electric vehicle charging station deployment plans. At the same time, the new guidelines no longer require states to outline disaster resilience strategies for responding to extreme weather.

Under the new guidance framework, U.S. states can independently decide the spacing of federally funded fast-charging stations along highways. Previously, a transportation corridor was considered “complete” only if the distance between charging stations did not exceed 50 miles; only after meeting this standard could states use funds from the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program for charging projects outside major highways.

The United States electric vehicle infrastructure plan was initially included in the bipartisan infrastructure bill signed by former President Biden in 2021. The Federal Highway Administration halted the plan in February this year, which is seen as an important part of a series of actions by the Trump administration aimed at reducing federal financial support for the widespread adoption of electric vehicles.

However, a federal court in the United States ruled in June that the Department of Transportation's suspension of the U.S. electric vehicle infrastructure program exceeded its administrative authority and constituted an interference with the will of the U.S. Congress.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stated in a statement on August 11 that although he "does not support subsidizing green energy, we will respect the will of the U.S. Congress and ensure that the program makes efficient use of federal resources."