The Trump Administration’s sweeping reform of federal funding has raised questions about future support for EV charging – but the reality is more complicated.
President Trump has begun his second term with a raft of executive orders including measures which could impact the growing US electric vehicle market and support for charging infrastructure. Here’s what fuel retailers need to know.
How is the government supporting EV charging?
The previous administration set a target of installing 500,000 public chargers by 2030 and set aside billions in federal funding to reach that goal [1].
Most notably, this included the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program – part of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act – which allocated $5bn to help states expand their DC charging networks over a five-year period [2].
NEVI is administered by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), but state Departments of Transportation (DOTs) develop their own infrastructure plans and distribute funding. The program provides up to 80% towards eligible costs for sites at 50-mile intervals alongside highways and within a mile of an exit, which means it’s well suited to fuel retailers.
As of November 2024, 59.1% of the country’s busiest routes had been electrified, with an estimate 70% set to be complete by the end of 2025 [3]. Fuel retailers have been awarded two thirds (65%) of that funding.
What has changed under the Trump Administration?
Unleashing American Energy, one of more than 50 executive orders signed by the new president, includes measures to end the “electric vehicle mandate” and supporting initiatives. This includes pausing funds from NEVI and the community-focused Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) program while both schemes are reviewed [4].
That process has already faced pushback. Courts granted two restraining orders against the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) within a week, blocking a total freeze of federal funding and ruling the Executive can’t unilaterally overturn decisions made in Congress [5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. The FHWA then issued a separate notice on February 6 suspending approval of state deployment plans, adding that new guidance would be published later in the year [10].
What happens next?
The situation is fluid, and Konect is speaking with government officials at a federal and state level to understand the implications. However:
- NEVI hasn’t been axed. The FHWA will issue new draft guidance in the spring, in line with new requirements that grant schemes must be cost-positive for the government [11]. Funding for 2025 was apportioned under the previous administration [12].
- Funding is still available. Although DOTs can’t award funding to new projects, the FHWA will reimburse them for existing financial commitments [10]. More than $3bn has already been allocated to states and can’t easily be reclaimed.
- Legal challenges continue. The Impoundment Act of 1974 limits the Executive’s power to unilaterally withdraw federal funding [13, 14]. This could prevent changes to NEVI without the approval of Congress.
At the time of writing, neither Konect nor DOTs have received federal communications ordering projects to be stopped or funding withheld. We will continue to monitor the situation over the coming weeks and update customers if anything changes.
Check out our blog for more insights on how EV charging can help fuel retailers.
