On December 16, 2020, a coalition of 16 states and the District of Columbia initiated legal proceedings against the U.S. government after the Trump administration halted two grant programs aimed at developing electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. California Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) has not approved new funding under these programs, which were established by a $1 trillion infrastructure law passed in 2022.

In June 2020, a U.S. judge ruled against the Trump administration's attempt to withhold funds from 14 states, including California, New York, Illinois, and Washington, from a separate $5 billion EV charging infrastructure fund approved in 2022. Bonta criticized the administration's actions as detrimental to efforts to combat air pollution and climate change, hinder innovation, and limit access to clean transportation options.

One of the suspended programs allocated $2.5 billion for EV charging and hydrogen fueling infrastructure. The lawsuit, led by California, Washington, and Colorado, claims that the suspension jeopardizes $1.8 billion in federal awards to various state and local governments, rendering most of these funds inaccessible.

The Trump administration has consistently opposed electric vehicle initiatives. In June 2020, President Trump signed a resolution to block California's plan to phase out gasoline-only vehicle sales by 2035 and rescinded the $7,500 EV tax credit. Additionally, he proposed reducing fuel economy standards established by the previous administration to facilitate the sale of gasoline-powered vehicles. In February 2020, USDOT suspended the $5 billion EV charging program, part of President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, and revoked prior approvals for state spending plans.