President Donald Trump has been slapped with a fresh legal headache after it was ruled that the US government unlawfully suspended the electric vehicle charger infrastructure programme.
A federal judge ruled that the Trump administration unlawfully suspended funding designed to support the expansion of the electric vehicle charging network across the United States.
A legal challenge was submitted by 20 Democrat-led states and the District of Columbia, which sued the government in February.
The lawsuit was filed after the US Department of Transportation (DOT) suspended an EV infrastructure programme introduced by Congress in 2021.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy suspended the $5billion (£3.6billion) National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Programme after being appointed to the role.
CNBC reported that US District Judge Tana Lin said the DOT and Federal Highway Administration "yanked the NEVI Formula Programme's cord out of the outlet".
This was done without working within the confines of the established administrative law, Judge Lin ruled.
Mike Faulk, spokesperson for Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown, said: "Judge Lin's order is a resounding win for the rule of law and for smart investment in our clean energy future."
The Trump administration has been told it unlawfully cut funding for EV chargers
|REUTERS
Research from the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) ruled that there would need to be 28 million EV charging ports across the country by the end of the decade.
Of these, a staggering 25.7 million ports would be situated at single-family homes, with more than one million public chargers.
The rest of the chargers are expected to be installed at multifamily homes, workplaces and rapid chargers at public locations.
The estimates are based on sales figures, which forecast that there will be 33 million electric vehicles on the road by 2030.
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Donald Trump has been a vocal critic of electric vehicles in recent years, describing the switch to cleaner cars as "lunacy", adding that supporters should "rot in hell".
As part of the "Big, Beautiful Bill", Mr Trump scrapped the $7,500 (£5,494) tax incentive to help drivers invest in zero emission vehicles.
This has led to a significant drop in the number of EVs sold in the United States in the final months of 2025, as drivers opted for petrol, diesel or hybrid models instead.
During his close relationship with Tesla CEO Elon Musk, who was working as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Trump briefly changed his mind.
President Trump purchased a Tesla from Elon Musk in March last year
| REUTERSHe told rally-goers in Atlanta, Georgia: "I'm for electric cars, I have to be because Elon endorsed me very strongly."
Mr Trump even invested in an electric Tesla during a controversial event at the White House, where Elon Musk displayed a number of Tesla vehicles, before selling one to the President.
The US Senate is expected to consider legislation next week that could redirect $879million (£644million) in funds approved under former President Biden for the EV charging network.