Trump Proposal Would Make $5 Billion US EV Charger Fund Unusable, Democrats Say

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A group of 20 state attorneys general, including those from California, Colorado, Arizona, New York, Virginia, Illinois, and Michigan, have criticized a Trump administration proposal to increase 'Buy America' requirements for federally funded electric vehicle charging stations from 55% to 100%. The attorneys general argue this would make the $5 billion program 'impossible for manufacturers to achieve, frustrate congressional intent, and impair the public interest by slowing or halting federally funded EV charger deployment nationwide.'

Why it matters

The $5 billion National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Formula Program was part of a 2021 infrastructure law enacted under President Biden to expand the country's EV charging network. The Trump administration's proposal to dramatically increase domestic content requirements could effectively prevent states from accessing these funds and slow the rollout of public EV charging infrastructure across the U.S.

The details

The Trump administration proposal would increase the 'Buy America' requirements for federally funded EV charging stations from 55% to 100% domestic content. The state attorneys general argue this is not feasible, as 'there are currently no 100% domestically produced chargers available for purchase' and 'some critical components of the chargers are simply not produced in the United States.' They say the proposal would 'frustrate congressional intent' and 'impair the public interest by slowing or halting federally funded EV charger deployment nationwide.'

• In January 2026, U.S. District Judge Tana Lin ruled the Trump administration had unlawfully suspended funding for the EV charger infrastructure program, in a victory for the 20 Democratic-led states that sued over the action.
• In March 2026, the group of 20 state attorneys general criticized the Trump administration's new proposal to increase domestic content requirements for the $5 billion EV charger program.

What they’re saying

What’s next

The USDOT proposal would take immediate effect once the changes are finalized. The judge's ruling in January 2026 that the Trump administration had unlawfully suspended funding for the EV charger program is also a significant development that could impact the implementation of the new domestic content requirements.