PA, NJ Ask Court To Release Billions In EV Infrastructure Funds

Pennsylvania and New Jersey have joined a group of nearly 20 states and Washington D.C. in a federal lawsuit alleging the federal government is unlawfully withholding of more than $2 billion in funding intended for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington and comes amid President Donald Trump’s calls to dismantle green energy programs established under the previous administration.

Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro announced Pennsylvania was joining the lawsuit, which accused the federal government of failing to honor financial commitments made under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

“I will not let the federal government break their word at the expense of Pennsylvanians,” Shapiro said in a statement.

New Jersey is represented by its attorney general’s office.

“Once again, the Trump Administration is clawing away money from our state and hurting our residents. Expanding our state’s network of electric vehicle chargers is a no-brainer, as it would create jobs, support economic growth, and reduce air pollution. Instead of supporting these commonsense investments, however, the Trump Administration is illegally suspending federal funding Congress has mandated,” said Attorney General Matt Platkin.

The litigation centers on two specific initiatives: the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program and the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator Program.

According to the complaint, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration have refused to approve new funding obligations for these programs since early 2025.

The lawsuit argues the freeze constitutes an illegal “impoundment” of funds. The complaint alleges that by ignoring statutes passed by bipartisan majorities in Congress, the Trump administration has violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the constitutional separation of powers.

The states are seeking a court order to force the release of the remaining $2 billion for the programs.

Trump has frequently criticized federal EV investments, calling for the elimination of gas mileage standards and the repeal of clean air rules.

Some automakers have scaled back EV initiatives to align with current market demand.

According to 2024 data from the PennDOT, the state is home to 63,000 registered electric vehicles and more than 4,200 charging stations.

The recent actions are not the first time the Trump administration’s hold on transportation funds has been challenged.

Earlier this year, several states successfully sued to restart the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program after a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction, according to the Associated Press.

Following that ruling, the U.S. Department of Transportation was forced to revise its guidance and resume the distribution of those funds.