New Life For EV Charging Stations Trump Tried To Kill

A federal program that pays for public EV fast-charging stations along highways is still moving forward, despite an attempt by the Trump administration to shut it down. The program, called NEVI (National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure), was set up under the 2021 infrastructure law with $5 billion to help states build a connected network of fast chargers on interstates and other major roads. In early 2025, the administration ordered the program suspended, but several states sued, arguing the move broke the law since Congress had already approved the money. By August 2025, the Department of Transportation reversed course and issued new guidance letting states keep building.

The result is that charging stations funded through NEVI keep going up. North Carolina, for example, just announced seven new charging locations, adding to five built in 2024. The state's total NEVI award is $109 million, and this latest round covers $14.4 million of that. North Carolina expects its full share of funding to support three years of construction, eventually reaching rural areas beyond the main highways. Other states, including Pennsylvania, have also continued opening NEVI-funded stations.

For homeowners, this mainly matters if you drive an EV or are considering one: the public charging network you'd rely on for longer trips is still expanding, state by state, even though funding and staffing have been slowed by cuts at the federal level. Separately, some cities are pushing their own charging expansions, like New York City adding 600 curbside chargers tied to rules for licensed taxi and for-hire vehicles.