The House Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I) Committee kicked off the surface transportation reauthorization process—the process to pass a five-year federal transportation infrastructure funding plan colloquially known as the highway bill. The House bill, called the BUILD America 250 Act, which was passed by the Committee, kneecaps the two main sources of funding for electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure: the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) program.
The $5 billion NEVI program would not be reauthorized, and the CFI program would be subsumed into the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality program (CMAQ), with its dedicated funding reduced from $2.5 billion to $1 billion. This retreat from our nation’s commitment to next-generation transportation infrastructure would hurt American national and economic security, as well as public health.
The NEVI Program
NEVI is a groundbreaking federal investment that provides states with funding to build a nationwide network of charging infrastructure along their highest-use corridors and fill electric vehicle charging gaps. Most NEVI funds are distributed via a formula based on each state’s population and driving habits, with each state receiving funds upon completing a plan for how it will use the money. These plans are developed with stakeholders, including private companies that propose and execute projects; NEVI funding covers up to 80% of these project costs.
Following a months-long freeze on implementation by the current administration, in August 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation released updated program guidance granting states newfound flexibility to resume their programs, accelerating deployment. More than 180 NEVI-funded sites (with more than 760 charging ports) are now active nationwide.
The CFI Program
CFI has been one of the federal government’s most effective tools for expanding publicly accessible charging infrastructure in communities and along highway corridors. Unlike NEVI, all CFI funding is competitively awarded, with 50% of funds reserved for projects along highway corridors and 50% for charging within communities. By helping rural communities, local governments, and tribal nations install charging in areas currently underserved by the market, CFI is one of the only sources of funding for critical mobility infrastructure for the millions of Americans who have already made the switch to electric transportation.
In recent years, the program has gained significant momentum. . In early 2024, the Federal Highway Administration announced CFI awards to fund approximately 7,500 EV charging ports; in August of 2024, 9,200 charging ports-worth of additional awards were announced; in early 2025, another round of awards was granted to fund 11,500 EV charging ports, boosting the total number of charging ports set to receive CFI funding above 28,000.
Big-Picture Risks
Automakers, industry experts, and most governments worldwide recognize that EVs are the future of transportation, rising from one in 20 new vehicle sales globally in 2020 to approximately one in four by the end of 2025. Though the United States has moved from a global leader in EV technology and adoption to a laggard due to recent policy shifts, approximately a million U.S. drivers are going electric each year, with adoption expected to accelerate as vehicle costs continue to decline, performance improves, and charging infrastructure is deployed. This transition insulates the United States from the economic and national security risks of oil dependence highlighted so vividly by the ongoing war with Iran: significant price volatility and costly military interventions to protect global oil supply lines.
However, should the United States fail to deploy charging infrastructure fast enough—as the withdrawal from current NEVI and CFI funding levels would threaten—consumer hesitancy could slow the growth of the U.S. market enough to allow competitors like China to secure insurmountable leads in global market share and EV technology. The United States has benefited tremendously from its role as a global automotive leader; the automotive sector supports approximately ten million U.S. jobs and anchors the nation’s industrial base, supporting our economy in times of peace while functioning as reserve defense production capacity in times of war. With the electrification of global transportation happening so quickly, falling behind by even a few years would make a dramatic difference to the United States’ ability to benefit from this transition, as it did from the automotive revolution it pioneered a century ago.
EV manufacturing is especially important because it is by far the largest source of demand for many of the critical minerals used in the batteries, semiconductor chips, and advanced digital systems needed to produce everything from smartphones and AI data centers to F-35 fighter jets and grid-scale battery storage. The supply chains for most of these minerals are currently heavily dependent on China, the United States’ primary geopolitical competitor. Supporting a robust U.S. EV industry is the best way to establish independent domestic supply chains for these essential materials; the proposed bill does the opposite.
Harms to Individuals
The current proposal would also have more immediate and tangible impacts on individuals and communities. Reducing one of the only sources of funding for charging in rural and underserved areas would place the burden of purchasing and installing charging infrastructure squarely on the shoulders of those least able to pay for it, effectively limiting Americans’ transportation choices. At a time when gas prices have climbed near historic highs with no clear end in sight, going electric is the only viable alternative for drivers looking to reduce their transportation costs. In many cases, the cost of fueling with electricity is equivalent to paying $1.50/gallon for gas, and EVs typically require significantly less maintenance than gas-powered cars; but without reliable access to charging, these benefits are inaccessible.
The current proposal would also have more immediate and tangible impacts on individuals and communities. Reducing one of the only sources of funding for charging in rural and underserved areas would place the burden of purchasing and installing charging infrastructure squarely on the shoulders of those least able to pay for it, effectively limiting Americans’ transportation choices. At a time when gas prices have climbed near historic highs with no clear end in sight, going electric is the only viable alternative for drivers looking to reduce their transportation costs. In many cases, the cost of fueling with electricity is equivalent to paying $1.50/gallon for gas, and EVs typically require significantly less maintenance than gas-powered cars; but without reliable access to charging, these benefits are inaccessible.
Even for those with the resources to install charging at home, road trips and other travel are a consistent part of American life, so access to public charging is important for all current and future EV drivers. And even in areas with some existing public charging infrastructure, failing to keep charger deployment on pace with vehicle adoption would result in congestion at existing stations, rendering them ineffective.
Related Provisions in the Proposed Bill
In addition to cuts to federal charging infrastructure programs, the bill would institute new annual federal taxes on EVs and hybrid vehicles ($130 rising to $150 for EVs and $30 rising to $50 for hybrids), and eliminate grant programs that support medium- and heavy-duty vehicle electrification.
The sum result of these provisions would be to tax EVs at nearly double the rate of gas-powered cars (which pay less than $90/year in federal gas taxes) while eliminating most federal investment in EV infrastructure. Claims that this bill would make federal transportation funding more fair are at best ill-informed and at worst, actively made in bad faith. Lawmakers are right to seek ways to increase federal funding for transportation infrastructure, but any approach must be fuel-neutral to avoid unfair taxation of certain groups.
What Can You Do?
To ensure the nation stays on track in building a robust national EV charging network, Congress should reauthorize the NEVI and CFI programs at existing levels.
This proposal must pass both the House and Senate to take effect, so there is still time to urge your representatives to maintain funding for EV charging infrastructure by sending them a pre-written letter or by calling them directly.