In the latest chapter of the Trump Administration’s war on the electric vehicle industry, the Administration has paused the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program.
Per a memo from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), the NEVI program will be paused while it is retooled to align with the Trump Administration’s priorities. No new obligations may occur under the program as part of the pause. However, until new guidance is released, reimbursement of existing obligations will be allowed.
As of the pause, 56 NEVI charging stations are up and running, with a further nine hundred awarded but still in the planning phase. The FHWA noted that they hope to put forward guidance on the program by the spring and will start the public comment period on that guidance soon after that release.
NEVI was started in 2021 to provide funding at the state level to bring EV charging to neglected regions. The program received $5 billion in funding; according to NPR, $3.3 billion of that funding has gone to the states.
Tesla is no stranger to the NEVI program. In fact, Tesla has received over $31 million in benefits from NEVI. This includes 86 conditionally awarded and seven open projects across multiple states. It is unclear how this pause could affect these specific projects.
Tesla was not alone in the NEVI program; Rivian, ChargePoint, and Electrify America were among others awarded funding. Some Canadian companies, including FLO and Irving Oil, were even active and had projects awarded.
