By Steven Symes 
A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to release EV charger money it’s been withholding from states. This will probably further the legal battle between the White House and 17 states which challenged the decision to freeze the EV charger funds.
Burning ship carrying EVs sinks off the Alaska coast.
Back in February, the Trump administration announced the $5 billion nationwide EV charger program was put on hold indefinitely. While the plan originally was to have charging stations line the interstates from coast to coast, enabling easier travel in electric cars, it has since devolved into just patchwork systems of chargers.
However, California and 16 other states were very upset when the money was frozen because they wanted to spend taxpayer dollars on the program established under the Biden administration. After suing, the case went before US District Judge Tana Lin in Seattle, who temporarily blocked the White House from withholding the money.
Judge Lin is a Biden appointee.
It won’t be surprising if the Trump administration challenges the ruling, if that’s legally possible. We’re not attorneys and so will defer to their expertise on what could come next.
The money for the EV chargers was included in the infamous Inflation Reduction Act, which in fact didn’t reduce inflation and arguably made it worse.
According to Judge Lin’s decision, the states which challenged the decision to freeze the money would likely succeed legally, which is why her order is for the taxpayer money to be released. The Transportation Department not only froze the funds but also canceled approvals for electric car chargers to be built, which had been granted by the Biden administration.
For some, the chargers are a key way to incentivize more people to buy EVs, thus saving the planet from the calamity of fossil fuels. For others, it’s another example of pork barrel spending and they feared few useful chargers would even result, especially given the cost.
Considering the demand for EVs has plummeted since the ironically named Inflation Reduction Act was signed into law by Joe Biden, we find it hilarious these states are so concerned with getting the money. In fact, it makes us suspicious about the true motive behind the project, which went from auspicious to nebulous in its aims almost overnight.
Image via Ford