US Government Accountability Office Reports Slow Progress on Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

According to foreign media reports, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) stated that by April of this year, fewer than 400 electric vehicle charging stations had been built across the states under the federal government's $7.5 billion infrastructure plan. The GAO noted that as of April, 384 charging stations were operational across 68 charging stations in 16 states. The agency specifically pointed out that the federal office responsible for overseeing the project has 'failed to establish performance goals that include quantifiable metrics and clear timelines.' In May, California and 15 other states filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation, alleging that the federal government illegally withheld at least $3 billion in grants designated for building electric vehicle charging stations as per the 2021 Infrastructure Act. The U.S. Department of Transportation halted the EV charging station construction projects in February this year and revoked approvals for state plans pending review. The GAO noted that Trump had sought to have Congress withdraw $6 billion in unused special funding for electric vehicle charging infrastructure. According to data from the U.S. Department of Energy, there are currently about 219,000 publicly available electric vehicle charging stations across the country. In June 2024, Democratic Senator Jeff Merkley criticized the previous Biden administration for deploying only 7 electric vehicle charging stations and a few dozen charging points, calling it 'unacceptable.' He stated, 'We have been working on this for three years, and the slow pace of progress is a serious administrative failure that needs to be identified and remedied.' However, after Trump took office, several measures were implemented to suppress electric vehicle sales. Trump signed a bill this month that will terminate the $7,500 tax credit for new electric vehicles and the $4,000 tax credit for used electric vehicles by September 30. In January, Trump also rescinded an executive order signed by Biden in 2021 that aimed to ensure that by 2030, half of all new cars sold in the U.S. would be electric vehicles. In March, the General Services Administration informed federal agencies that existing government-owned electric vehicle charging stations were not considered critical tasks and 'should be disconnected from the grid and cease operations.' The agency stated in April that it had canceled 32 electric vehicle charging projects, totaling more than $23 million.