Trump Administration Ordered To Release Billions In EV Charger Funds After Federal Judge Ruling

A Federal Court Judge in Washington State has ordered the Trump administration to release funds to build EV chargers in over 14 U.S. states.

What Happened: The ruling, delivered by U.S. District Judge Tana Lin in Seattle, Washington on Tuesday, states that the funds allocated to states like New York, Arizona and California are to be released by the administration.

The ruling also outlines that if the states were to sue the federal government for illegally withholding congressionally approved funds, they would succeed. The U.S. Transportation Department had withheld over $5 billion approved by the previous Biden administration awarded to states to create EV infrastructure.

"When the Executive Branch treads upon the will of the Legislative Branch, and when an administrative agency acts contrary to law, it is the Court's responsibility to remediate the situation and restore the balance of power," Lin said in the ruling.

However, the court has granted the Trump administration until July 2, 2025, to appeal the ruling.

Why It Matters: The ruling comes as U.S. President Donald Trump had recently doubled down on his anti-EV stance by signing a resolution to overturn California's EV mandate aimed at phasing out ICE-powered vehicles by 2035.

The administration also wants to axe the $7500 Federal EV credit as both Senate Republicans as well as House Republicans have proposed to repeal the credit in a new tax bill.

However, the Senate proposal axes the $250 annual fee for EV owners as well as a $100 annual fee for Hybrid owners that the House Republicans' proposal invokes, signaling different perspectives on the tax bill within the GOP.

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