Trump Halts Federal EV Orders, Shuts Down Chargers
The Trump administration has put the brakes on the federal government’s transition to electric vehicles, pausing orders for new EVs and ordering the shutdown of some existing charging stations. This action reverses policies implemented by the previous administration that were aimed at promoting the adoption of electric vehicles across the federal fleet.
Memos obtained by NPR and Colorado Public Radio reveal that the General Services Administration (GSA), the agency responsible for ordering many federal vehicles and managing EV chargers, has taken several steps. These include a temporary suspension of orders for zero-emission vehicles, a halt to the installation of new charging stations, and instructions to disconnect and shut down some existing stations.
“All existing charging stations that are deemed not to be mission-critical should be disconnected from the network and turned off,” reads a March 3 memo on EV chargers signed by Michael Peters, the new commissioner of the GSA’s Public Buildings Service.
A Nissan LEAF recharges at a charging station in Pasadena, Calif.
This represents a significant policy shift. The Biden administration had mandated a transition to zero-emission vehicles for the federal fleet, aiming to combat climate change and support the EV industry.
Travis Madsen, director of the transportation program at the Southwest Energy Efficiency Project, expressed concern about the move, calling it “a very shortsighted move.”
The March 3 memo allows agencies to request exceptions for “mission-critical” charger needs and also allows agencies to request exemptions from the charger shutdown order. The definition of “mission critical” has not been clarified.
The GSA is shutting down some federally-owned electric vehicle chargers, including at the Denver Federal Center.
The pause on new EV orders, as outlined in a January memo from Acting Administrator Stephen Ehikian, suspends “any new GSA-funded obligations” for review, with some exceptions. In an emailed statement, GSA spokesperson Jorge Pineda confirmed the pause and said the agency is working with partner agencies to determine which chargers are “mission critical.”
Trump has consistently criticized electric vehicles, citing their cost and limited range. During his 2024 campaign, he pledged to roll back Biden-era EV policies. On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order revoking a goal for battery-powered vehicles to comprise 50% of all new U.S. vehicle sales by 2030. “Importantly, we ended the last administration’s insane electric vehicle mandate, saving our auto workers and companies from economic destruction,” Trump said during a recent address to Congress.
Trump appeared at a White House event with Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
At a White House event on March 11, Trump announced he would purchase a Tesla, positioning this as a “show of confidence and support” for Tesla CEO Elon Musk, now a White House senior advisor. Trump has also paused billions in federal spending for public EV charging stations and is seeking to undo other policies that support EVs, including a ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars in California by 2035.
In a notable exception, Trump has promoted EVs made by Tesla, whose CEO, Elon Musk, was a major campaign donor and is now a White House advisor. Last month, the State Department paused plans for a $400 million contract for armored Tesla vehicles. Simultaneously, the GSA has begun to reduce its electric vehicle fleet. The federal government added thousands of electric vehicles under Biden, issuing an executive order in 2021 requiring that most federal vehicle leases or purchases be zero-emission by 2035. Those targets have also been revoked.
Transportation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S., according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Cars, SUVs, and light-duty trucks account for a significant portion of these emissions, and the federal government’s large fleet includes about 670,000 vehicles, with the GSA providing over 230,000.
As of 2023, the federal fleet contained over 8,500 electric vehicles, a number that has likely grown. In 2024, the GSA said that the federal government had started to install over 25,000 charging ports and ordered over 58,000 zero-emission vehicles.
The March 3 memo does not specify the number of GSA-owned charging stations currently in operation, but hundreds of new ports were in development last year. The memo calls for termination of all maintenance and network contracts for non-mission critical equipment.
The GSA manager interviewed for this article, who asked to remain anonymous, said that most chargers at the Denver Federal Center have already been shut down and have elicited dismay from federal workers. The official was unable to confirm the decision of which federal agencies will be required to use the remaining electric vehicles and chargers.
