**States Challenge Trump Administration Over Electric Vehicle Funding Cuts**

Washington, Colorado, and California are leading the lawsuit against the Trump administration, which they accuse of freezing crucial funding.

A coalition of states, spearheaded by Washington, Colorado, and California, has initiated a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that it is illegally withholding billions of dollars designated for the construction of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations under the bipartisan infrastructure law enacted in 2021. This legislation allotted $5 billion to states to develop charging infrastructure nationwide, yet only 71 stations have been completed to date, with many more delayed, according to Atlas Public Policy.

The lawsuit, submitted to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington located in Seattle, asserts that federal agencies have improperly frozen these funds and stalled the approval process for new stations. This action, according to the coalition, has deprived states of vital resources and hindered the burgeoning electric vehicle market.

President Trump’s recent budget proposal indicated the cancellation of funding for what it termed "failed electric-vehicle-charger grant programs." This move builds on previous executive actions taken by Trump, who has sought to undermine the program since January. However, the lawsuit contends that fully cutting the funding would necessitate congressional approval.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta criticized the actions taken by the administration, stating, “The president continues his unconstitutional attempts to withhold funding that Congress appropriated to programs he dislikes. This time he's illegally stripping away billions of dollars for electric vehicle charging infrastructure, all to line the pockets of his Big Oil friends.”

In California alone, nearly two million zero-emission vehicles have been sold, representing a third of the nationwide total, as the state continues its longstanding commitment to reducing air pollution. Bonta’s office noted that California was expecting to utilize approximately $384 million from the federal initiative to bolster its charging station network.