Latest news with #TanaLin
India Today
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- India Today
US judge blocks Trump admin from withholding EV charger funds to 14 states
A federal judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the Trump administration from withholding funding previously awarded to 14 states for electric vehicle (EV) charging District Judge Tana Lin, based in Seattle, ruled that the states are likely to succeed in their legal challenge, which argues the federal government acted unlawfully by suspending billions in grants meant to expand EV charging networks. The funds were part of a broader federal push to support EV US Department of Transportation halted the program in February and rescinded state plans while conducting an internal review. Judge Lin's injunction does not apply to the District of Columbia, Minnesota, and Vermont, which also joined the lawsuit but failed to show they would face immediate harm from the funding order will take effect in seven days, giving the Trump administration a window to appeal and potentially seek a stay from a higher February, the Trump administration halted states from using USD 5 billion allocated through the Biden-era National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) initiative was designed to cover up to 80 per cent of project costs for building electric vehicle charging stations. As of now, at least 16 states have one or more operational EV stations, according to the EV States May, the Government Accountability Office concluded that the Trump administration broke the law by withholding funds from the electric vehicle program. It stated that the administration is legally obligated to implement the program as White House rejected the findings, calling them 'wrong and legally indefensible,' and instructed the Department of Transportation to disregard them. The department is now expected to release a draft of its revised electric vehicle guidance later this month.- Ends(With inputs from Reuters)Tune InMust Watch
The Guardian
10 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Guardian
Judge blocks Trump from withholding EV charger funds awarded to 14 states
A US district judge has blocked the Trump administration from withholding funds previously awarded to 14 states for electric vehicle charger infrastructure. Seattle-based judge Tana Lin, who was appointed to the bench by Joe Biden in 2021, granted a partial injunction to the states that filed suit against Trump's Department of Transportation. She ruled that the states' lawsuit – led by attorneys general in California, Colorado and Washington – would likely succeed. Her ruling did not apply to the District of Columbia, Minnesota and Vermont, which she found did not provide evidence that they would suffer immediate harm. The injunction will go into effect on 1 July, unless the Trump administration files an appeal blocking it. In February, the Trump administration ordered states not to spend $5bn in funds allocated under the Biden administration as part of the national electric vehicle infrastructure (Nevi) program. The program provided up to 80% of eligible project costs to deploy electric vehicle charges. Currently, 16 states have at least one operational EV station, according to EV States Clearinghouse. 'The new leadership of the Department of Transportation … has decided to review the policies underlying the implementation of the Nevi formula program,' Emily Biondi, associate administrator for planning, environment and realty at the transportation department's Federal Highway Administration, wrote in a memo. 'As result of the rescission of the Nevi formula program guidance, the FHWA is also immediately suspending the approval of all state electric vehicle infrastructure deployment plans for all fiscal years. Therefore, effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the Nevi formula program until the updated final Nevi formula program guidance is issued and new state plans are submitted and approved,' she added. In May, the Government Accountability Office found that the Trump administration violated the law when it withheld the funding. The administration 'must continue to carry out the statutory requirements of the program', it said. The White House challenged those findings, which it called 'wrong and legally indefensible', and ordered the transportation department to ignore them. The department is expected to release a draft of its updated electric vehicle guidance this month. During a hearing before the Seattle judge earlier this month, Leah Brown, of Washington's attorney general's office said, 'This passing reference to revised guidance and to changed priorities is simply insufficient to override congressional intent.' She added that the states aren't 'challenging the ability to revise guidance, but we are arguing that doing so simply is not a sufficient explanation for the actions that they've taken,' the Washington State Standard reported. 'The agency has no intent to withhold funds from the states,' justice department attorney Heidy Gonzalez said. 'It just wants the opportunity to review past guidance and to promulgate guidance that comports with the current administration's policies and priorities.' During his campaign for the presidency, Donald Trump voiced a hatred for electric vehicles that ran counter to his growing friendship with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. At one point in the campaign, Trump said supporters of the vehicles should 'rot in hell' and that Biden's support of EVs would bring a 'bloodbath' to the US's automotive industry. Although he later appointed Musk to serve as head of the 'department of government efficiency', Musk and Trump have since parted ways.
Globe and Mail
11 hours ago
- Automotive
- Globe and Mail
Judge blocks Trump administration from withholding funds for EV charging
A U.S. judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked U.S. President Donald Trump's administration from withholding funds awarded to 14 states for electric vehicle charger infrastructure. U.S. District Judge Tana Lin in Seattle, Wash., ruled that the states were likely to succeed in a lawsuit alleging that the federal government was illegally withholding billions of dollars awarded to states for building EV charging stations. The U.S. Transportation Department in February suspended the EV charging program and rescinded approval of state plans pending a review. Trump signs measure to block California's ban on new sales of gas-powered cars by 2035 Ottawa should scrap restrictive electric-vehicle regulations, GM Canada's CEO says Lin's ruling did not apply to District of Columbia, Minnesota and Vermont, which also sued over the funding rescission but did not provide evidence that they would suffer immediate harm as a result of the Transportation Department decision. Lin's ruling will take effect in seven days, which will give the Trump administration time to file an appeal and ask an appellate court to block her ruling from taking effect.
