Federal EV Charging Stations Not Being Turned Off (For Now)

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A couple of weeks in the past, I noticed a bunch of headlines in regards to the Trump administration pulling the plug on all federal EV charging stations. Scandalous! Idiotic! Completely in character. I figured another person on the crew was going to cowl it, so I didn’t look extra carefully. Then, nobody coated it. I thought of it a handful of occasions since then, however by no means learn a full story on it. Then, final evening, I noticed a Snopes article about it….

Snopes is within the enterprise of investigating rumors and figuring out in the event that they’re true or a fantasy, so I used to be curious what that meant with regard to this story. The reply is: it’s a little bit difficult.

To begin with, it appears there’s no affirmation but of any federal EV charging stations getting turned off or eliminated.

“On Feb. 20, Colorado Public Radio reported that EV chargers on the Denver Federal Middle would ‘possible quickly be shut down’ after reviewing an inner e mail from ‘a number of sources.’ Based on the report, the e-mail learn: ‘As GSA has labored to align with the present administration, we’ve obtained course that each one GSA-owned charging stations are usually not mission vital.’” As Snopes rightfully factors out, that final assertion doesn’t essentially imply they’re shutting off or eradicating charging stations — the implication could possibly be that they simply aren’t going to purchase extra (not good, in fact, however not practically as dangerous the opposite assumption). Sadly, that preliminary reported led to others leaping on the concept and publishing stunning headlines.

There’s apparently been no affirmation from the federal authorities or White Home about this matter. Heck, it might even be that the federal government is simply going to consider this concern and will go forward and hold shopping for and putting in EV charging stations — although, that appears extremely unlikely at this level. Snopes reached out to the GSA in regards to the matter and received the next response:

On January 24, 2025, the GSA Performing Administrator and Deputy Administrator issued a memorandum directing the momentary suspension of all new GSA obligations, together with new awards, job and supply orders, and modifications and choices, with restricted exceptions.

This momentary suspension consists of federal fleet orders of zero emission autos. GSA can be working with our company companions to verify put in Electrical Car Provide Tools (EVSE), or EVSE associated initiatives nonetheless in planning/execution phases, are mission vital in nature and in help of fleet EVs. Presently, no motion has been taken concerning EVSE at federal buildings throughout the nation.

So, that’s the place issues stand. Not good, however not fairly as horrible as headlines implied … but.

Notably, as effectively, the GSA’s fleet electrification webpage has been eliminated. You’ll be able to nonetheless view the archive by way of the Wayback Machine, although. (Facet notice: the Wayback Machine is superb, a world treasure.)

If we get extra information or an replace on what’s going on with the US authorities’s EV charging stations, we’ll let you recognize. Ironic that essentially the most well-known face of the EV revolution has aligned himself with a political get together that’s so anti-EV and pro-fossil gasoline. Will he do something to reverse these anti-EV insurance policies? Absolutely not. Ridiculous, however that is the world we dwell in.