By: Richard L. Smith
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin has joined a multistate lawsuit aiming to stop the Trump Administration from indefinitely halting billions of dollars in federal funding meant for electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, according to information released by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
The state is at risk of losing $73 million earmarked for building out EV charging stations.
“Thanks to the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, New Jersey and other states were positioned to modernize transportation infrastructure in line with the surge in electric vehicle ownership,” Attorney General Platkin said in a statement.
“But instead of moving forward with these essential upgrades, President Trump is once again undermining the will of Congress, blocking access to crucial federal funds. This reckless decision strips New Jersey of more than $70 million for critical projects, and we’re ready to challenge it in court.”
The dispute centers on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), passed by Congress in 2022, which set aside $5 billion for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program.
This program is designed to expand EV charging networks across states.
However, following an executive order signed by President Trump on January 20, federal agencies were directed to pause the distribution of funds under both the IIJA and the Inflation Reduction Act, impacting NEVI allocations.
In early February, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) informed states that it was pulling back previously approved NEVI implementation plans—a required step for receiving the funds.
New Jersey’s NEVI plan had been greenlit as recently as November 2024, and the state had already awarded a contract to begin building the EV charging stations.
Attorney General Platkin, alongside 16 other state attorneys general, filed the lawsuit to challenge what they describe as unlawful actions by the FHWA and to push for the release of the halted funds. Other states involved in the legal action include Washington, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wisconsin, and Vermont.