.…But a few possibilities come to mind
by Guy Page
Vermont is now one of seventeen states suing the Trump administration over electric vehicle charging money that, according to state officials, has suddenly stopped flowing.
Attorney General Charity Clark announced yesterday that the U.S. Department of Transportation has quietly refused to approve any new funding under two EV charging programs created by Congress in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. No warning. No explanation. Just a freeze.
The lawsuit argues this violates the separation of powers, since Congress already approved the funding with bipartisan votes. And in Vermont’s case, the complaint zeroes in on Burlington, where the state was counting on nearly five million dollars to expand charging capacity.
Lose that money, the state says, and Vermont either delays its EV rollout or pays more to meet its own goals.
What the Attorney General does not explain is why federal officials might be less than enthusiastic about writing those checks. A few possibilities come to mind.
First, these charging stations are not cheap, and they are not evenly used. They tend to serve urban areas and higher-income Vermonters — people who could afford to buy electric vehicles in the first place, often knowing full well that charging infrastructure was limited. From Washington’s point of view, that can look like a subsidy for a narrow, upscale slice of the population.
Second, electric vehicles don’t pay the equivalent of gas taxes for highway upkeep. That matters. Roads and bridges are still largely funded at the pump. Vermont only recently created an EV version of the gas tax, and even that revenue is modest. Meanwhile, federal money that could support general transportation infrastructure is being steered instead into building out charging stations — infrastructure that further reduces fuel tax revenue.
Third, electric vehicles may simply not be the priority they once were.
Vermont itself is signaling a retreat. Governor Phil Scott earlier this year issued an executive order pausing enforcement of multi-state EV sales mandates through the end of 2026. State law has tied Vermont to California’s emissions standards, including a ban on new gas and diesel vehicles by 2035. But that consensus is fraying.
Earlier this year, the U.S. House voted to override California’s emissions rules. Other states have already pulled out of zero-emissions mandates for cars and trucks. The political ground has shifted.
And Vermont car buyers haven’t fully cooperated either.
About ten percent of registered vehicles in Vermont are electric. Cold weather, high sticker prices, and limited charging access remain major hurdles. Automakers are noticing. Major manufacturers are scaling back EV offerings in states like Vermont. Compass Vermont recently reported that Ford is discontinuing sales of the F-150 Lightning here — the very electric truck Governor Scott is often photographed riding in.
Still, you can already hear the next argument forming in Montpelier:
If Washington won’t pay, Vermont taxpayers must. For the climate. For the future. For the plan.
That would mean millions more in state spending to build charging stations, especially in the Burlington area — at a time when enthusiasm for EV mandates is cooling, automakers are pulling back, and many Vermonters are still driving gasoline vehicles they can afford and refuel anywhere.
If lawmakers decide that’s the road they want to take, it will be an interesting debate.
And it’s one VDC be following.