U.S. states have built just 384 electric vehicle (EV) charging ports at 68 locations across 16 states as of April 2025 under a $7.5 billion federal infrastructure program launched in 2021, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) said on Tuesday, citing concerns over slow implementation and the absence of measurable performance goals.
The joint office responsible for overseeing the program “has not defined performance goals with measurable targets and time frames for its activities,” the GAO stated in its report, raising questions over accountability in the rollout of nationwide EV charging infrastructure.
The findings come amid broader political and legal tensions surrounding the program. In May, California and 15 other states filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Transportation Department, alleging the agency was unlawfully withholding at least $3 billion in funds already allocated for EV charger deployment. The lawsuit followed a decision in February by the Trump administration to suspend the program and withdraw approvals for state deployment plans pending a review.
Former President Donald Trump has called for Congress to rescind $6 billion in unspent EV infrastructure funds. In January, Trump also revoked a 2021 executive order aimed at ensuring 50% of new vehicle sales in the U.S. are electric by 2030. The administration has since moved to roll back additional EV-related policies, including the termination of federal tax credits for EV purchases effective September 30 and cancellation of 32 charging projects valued at over $23 million.
Nationwide, the U.S. currently has about 219,000 public EV charging ports, according to the Energy Department. However, progress under the federal infrastructure law has drawn criticism from both parties. In June 2024, Senator Jeff Merkley said the previous Biden administration’s pace of deployment had been inadequate. “We’re now three years into this … That is a vast administrative failure,” Merkley said during a hearing. “Something is terribly wrong and it needs to be fixed.”
Despite the political shifts, the GAO report emphasized the need for clearer planning and execution strategies if the country is to meet its long-term electrification goals.
Source: Reuters
