Attorney General Bonta: Trump Administration’s Illegal Attempt to Stop Funding for EV Charging Infrastructure Must Hit a Dead End

OAKLAND -California Attorney General Rob Bonta, California Governor Gavin Newsom, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans), and the California Energy Commission (CEC), today co-led a coalition of 17 attorneys general and the State of Pennsylvania in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration for unlawfully suspending two bipartisan grant programs for electric vehicle charging infrastructure that would reduce pollution, expand access to clean vehicles, and create thousands of green jobs. Without any explanation or notice, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has quietly refused to approve any new funding under two electric vehicle charging infrastructure programs created in the Infrastructure Investment & Jobs Act (IIJA): Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program (CFI) and the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator (Accelerator) Program (together, the EV Charging Infrastructure Programs). In the lawsuit, California and the coalition allege that these unexplained and secretive actions violate the constitutional separation of powers, as the funding was approved by bipartisan majorities in Congress.

"The Trump Administration's illegal attempt to stop funding for electric vehicle infrastructure must come to an end," said Attorney General Rob Bonta. "This is just another reckless attempt that will stall the fight against air pollution and climate change, slow innovation, thwart green job creation, and leave communities without access to clean, affordable transportation. While the Administration is busy finding ways for their Big Oil donors to profit, California will continue to fight for its people, environment, and innovation."

"The Trump Administration is unlawfully withholding funds from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law - investments Congress approved to build America's EV charging network, reduce pollution, and create thousands of good-paying jobs. We won't stand for it," said Governor Gavin Newsom. "California will defend the Constitution, our communities, and the future we're building. With 2.4 million zero-emission vehicles on our roads and critical projects ready to move forward, we're taking this to court."

"California is committed to continuing to scale up electric vehicles and ensure a reliable and affordable EV charging network for all. By doing this, we can help reduce air pollution and increase our energy independence," said CEC Chair David Hochschild. "Our state has made great progress and now has more public EV charge plugs than we have gasoline nozzles. We expect the bipartisan-approved federal funding to continue to support this important infrastructure."

"These grant programs are critical to building a sustainable modern transportation network in California," said Dina El-Tawansy, Director of the California Department of Transportation. "The electric vehicle charging funding they provide will enhance freight movement, improve convenience for drivers, and accelerate California's mission to build a cleaner and more reliable system for all travelers."

In 2022, Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Like the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program, the CFI and Accelerator programs are five-year programs created by IIJA for building or repairing EV chargers. USDOT and the Federal Highway Administration have refused all new obligations of funds under both programs since the spring of 2025. Specifically, the CFI program directs $2.5 billion in discretionary funding to States and local governments for EV charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure, while the Accelerator program awards grants, through NEVI appropriations, to States and localities for EV charger repair and maintenance. Together, they provide $179.8 million in federal funds to California state agencies for building and maintaining a network of publicly accessible, fast, and reliable EV chargers that is critical to California's EV adoption and climate goals.

California continues to lead the nation in the adoption of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) and the development of supporting infrastructure to rapidly deploy funds to develop and ensure a reliable and easy-to-use charging network. To date, over 2.4 million ZEVs have been sold in California, including thousands of electric trucks, delivery vans, and buses that CFI-funded chargers would support along California's critical goods movement corridors.

The suspension of the EV Charging Infrastructure Programs has detrimentally impacted States by stalling planned charging station projects, delaying infrastructure build-out, and creating financial uncertainty. Specifically in California, the following awards are at stake: $59.3 million CFI award to Caltrans to buildout a freight corridor for medium- and heavy-duty electric vehicles; $55.9 million CFI award to CEC for zero-emission freight transportation along key California freight corridors and around California's major ports; and $63.1 million Accelerator award to Caltrans for repair and replacement of non-operational EV chargers.

The complaint filed today alleges that the Trump Administration's refusal to spend the funds that Congress appropriated for EV infrastructure is unlawful because it violates the separation of powers and violates the Administrative Procedure Act. The programs were created by statute, and federal agencies have a duty to faithfully execute those statutes. The complaint asks the court to declare the defendants' actions unlawful and to permanently stop the Administration from withholding these funds.

Attorney General Bonta co-led the lawsuit with the attorneys general of Washington and Colorado and was joined in the filing by the attorneys general of Arizona, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, and the State of Pennsylvania.

A copy of the lawsuit will become available here.