A coalition of states sued the Trump administration Tuesday for blocking the full release of $2.5 billion in federal funding for electric car infrastructure, alleging the decision to stop disbursing funds is unlawful.
The California and Colorado attorneys general announced the lawsuit against the Department of Transportation, arguing the agency overstepped its constitutional authority and attempts to override Congress’s directives under a Biden-era bipartisan infrastructure law by suspending two electric vehicle grant programs.
“Trump is putting the brakes on projects that would reduce planet warming pollution and smog, expand access to clean vehicles, and create thousands of green jobs,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) said in a press conference. “He’s running over the co-equal branch of Congress that holds the purse strings in this country.”
The plaintiffs are 15 states including New York and New Jersey, alongside the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) suing in the US District Court for the Western District of Washington.
The White House and DOT didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Program and the Electric Vehicle Charger Reliability and Accessibility Accelerator Program were created under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, but the DOT and Federal Highway Administration have refused “all new obligations of funds” for months, according to a statement from Bonta’s office.
“They are implicitly, or as lawyers might say, de facto banning this program,” Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) said. “It’s not legal to operate this way.”
The Trump administration has argued previously these kinds of lawsuits looking to restore federal funding are contract disputes that belong in the US Court of Federal Claims. Shadow docket orders from the US Supreme Court earlier this year indicated the justices may accept the administration’s interpretation of the Tucker Act to send challenges to grant cancellations to the claims court.
Bonta said the states acknowledge the court’s insight on Tucker Act jurisdiction, but maintained this lawsuit is about an agency abusing its discretion.
“We’re asking the court to vacate the suspension of the EV charging infrastructure programs, rather than for the payment of specific amounts set out in grant agreements,” Bonta said.
States brought a similar lawsuit against the agencies earlier this year to restore a separate $5 billion electric car charger program. The federal funding aimed to get more battery-powered vehicles on the road by building out charger networks and offering local grants for continued maintenance.
This case is California v. US Dep’t of Transportation, W.D. Wash., No. 2:25-cv-02574, complaint filed 12/16/25.
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