Contents

• Introduction
• Vehicle Electrification Overview
• Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Programs
• National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program
• Status of NEVI Implementation
• Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Grant Program
• Status of CFI Implementation
• Policy Developments
• Considerations for Congress

Summary

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58) established two federal programs to support the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure: the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grant program. The IIJA centralized and expanded federal efforts to build EV charging infrastructure by allocating $7.5 billion in total funding over five years (FY2022-FY2026) for NEVI and CFI.

EV charging infrastructure supports plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and battery-electric vehicles, often collectively referred to as plug-in electric vehicles ("plug-in EVs"), sales of which have increased over the past decade. Access to EV charging, particularly for battery-electric vehicles, is one factor that affects EV adoption. Federal programs operating alongside private investment and state-level initiatives collectively contribute to EV charging deployment. As a result, federal policy changes affecting NEVI and CFI may alter how federally funded EV charging is deployed, while broader deployment of charging infrastructure continues through other public and private channels.

Since FY2022, the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has made available a total of $4.2 billion to be obligated under NEVI. The final year (FY2026) of NEVI formula funding was announced in October 2025. For CFI, FHWA has made available a total of $1.8 billion, issuing competitive awards over three rounds of funding. The recipients of the most recent awards were announced in January 2025. Since then, no new funding opportunities for the remaining CFI program funds authorized for FY2026 have been announced.

The 119^th Congress and the second Trump Administration have undertaken policy actions affecting CFI and NEVI. Since the start of the 119^th Congress, legislative and executive actions have altered the implementation environment for NEVI and CFI. Executive Order 14154 ("Unleashing American Energy," from January 20, 2025) directed a pause for IIJA grant disbursements, specifically for NEVI and CFI. Litigation filed by coalitions of states challenged these funding pauses. In August 2025, FHWA ended the pause on NEVI program funding, while CFI program funding remained paused as of the date of this report. In Congress, some unobligated NEVI program funds were transferred for other purposes through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-75), while the Administration directed the cancellation of a selection of CFI awards. Staffing reductions across federal agencies and proposed changes to domestic content requirements may also affect program implementation.

The 119^th Congress is considering a number of bills that would transfer or rescind program funding, or otherwise terminate NEVI and CFI: the Undoing Nationwide Programs and Limiting Unnecessary Grants for Electric Vehicles Act (UNPLUG EVs Act; H.R. 1052), the Unplug the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Programs Act (H.R. 1513 and S. 651), and the Highway Funding Flexibility Act of 2025 (H.R. 3972 and S. 1066). Congress may consider canceling unobligated NEVI and CFI program funds as proposed in the Administration's FY2027 budget request. Congress is also considering bills that would restore transferred or canceled program funds, as proposed in the Energy Bills Relief Act (H.R. 7977), or establish new grant programs for charging infrastructure, as proposed in the Climate Justice Grants Act (H.R. 6615) and the Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging Grant Program Act of 2025 (H.R. 1892). Congress may also take no action, preserving the status quo wherein implementation of NEVI and CFI and the availability of program funding is determined by the Administration, the states, and the federal courts.

Introduction

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA; P.L. 117-58) established two federal programs to support the expansion of electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure: the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) grant program. The IIJA centralized and expanded federal efforts to build EV charging infrastructure by allocating $7.5 billion in total funding over five years (FY2022-FY2026) for NEVI and CFI.

Legislative and executive actions since the start of the 119^th Congress have affected, and may further affect, program funding, implementation, and continuation of CFI and NEVI. The 119^th Congress transferred some unobligated NEVI program funds for other purposes through the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-75) and is considering other modifications to NEVI and CFI. Under the second Trump Administration, changes in EV policy priorities have placed these EV charging infrastructure programs under review. The Administration's FY2027 budget request, released April 3, 2026, proposed the cancellation of any remaining unobligated NEVI and CFI program funds.¹

This report provides overviews of the NEVI and CFI programs, including the status of each program's deployment to date; discusses the potential effects of recent policy developments; and includes considerations for Congress.

Vehicle Electrification Overview

EV charging infrastructure supports plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles and battery-electric vehicles, which may be collectively referred to as plug-in electric vehicles ("plug-in EVs").² In plug-in EVs, propulsion is supplied entirely by, or in conjunction with, an electric motor and traction battery. Traction batteries must be charged by connecting to an external source of electricity via a charging port. Designated for propulsion, traction batteries are distinct from the smaller 12-volt batteries that supply power to various vehicle electronics and assist with start-up processes in electric vehicles and internal combustion engine vehicles alike.³

Annual light-duty plug-in EV sales in the United States have increased significantly over the last 15 years, from approximately 300 vehicles in 2010 to 1,521,700 vehicles in 2025.⁴ Plug-in EVs' share of light-duty vehicle sales increased from less than 1% in 2010 to 9.4% in 2025. Plug-in EVs accounted for 2.1% of all U.S. vehicle registrations in 2024 (latest data available).⁵ For more information about EVs, see CRS Report R48648, Electric Vehicle Technologies and Selected Policy Issues for the 119th Congress, by Melissa N. Diaz. For more information about the automotive industry, see CRS Report R48876, The U.S. Automotive Industry: Selected Issues, by Naseeb A. Souweidane.

Plug-in EV ownership, in particular battery-electric vehicle ownership, relies on access to private and public charging infrastructure in places where vehicles are registered as well as where they are operated. Charging stations may have one or more charging ports, each of which can charge one vehicle at a time, though multiple connectors may be available at each port for vehicle compatibility.⁶ Plug-in EVs may be charged at homes and other private-access sites (e.g., workplaces), though public charging infrastructure has generally been the focus of federal support. Federally funded charging stations are typically required to have either Level 2 or direct current (DC) fast charging ports due to their faster rates of charging compared to Level 1 ports.⁷

Current EV charging capacity for the United States is below what might be necessary in 2030, according to a report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL; now the National Laboratory of the Rockies). For a projected 33 million plug-in EVs on the road in 2030, NREL estimated a charging need of 1.2 million publicly accessible charging ports.⁸ The Alternative Fuels Data Center reports 80,479 public EV charging stations in the United States as of the date of this report, with 248,905 Level 2 and DC fast charging ports.⁹

While many charging stations have been built without federal funding, federal investment has promoted a uniform customer experience at charging stations and the deployment of charging infrastructure in areas that lacked prior investment. While the number of charging stations may continue to grow, uncertainties in federal investment, including rescission of funding and changes to standards, may impact the future overall rate of charging infrastructure deployment.

Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) Programs

The IIJA established two federal programs to centralize and expand federal efforts to deploy EV charging and other alternative fueling infrastructure, particularly along major U.S. highways.

National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program

Division J of the IIJA established NEVI, a formula program to deploy publicly accessible EV charging infrastructure along the national highway system, primarily along alternative fuel corridors (AFCs).¹⁰ The IIJA allocated $5 billion in multiyear advance appropriations from the Department of the Treasury's General Fund for the implementation of NEVI. The program is administered by the Department of Transportation (DOT) Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), to which the states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico submit annual deployment plans for EV charging infrastructure in order to access formula funding allocations. NEVI program funds may be used for the acquisition, installation, operation, and maintenance of EV charging infrastructure. Projects are funded at an 80% federal cost share; states are responsible for the remaining 20% nonfederal share, which may be provided in whole or in part by private partners engaged by the states to implement projects. Once FHWA certifies that a state has fully built out its AFCs, that state may use remaining funds to deploy community charging infrastructure along public roads and in publicly accessible locations.

From annual NEVI funding, 10% is set aside for grants to states and localities that require additional assistance to deploy EV charging infrastructure.¹¹ From the FY2022 NEVI allocation, $300 million was designated to establish the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation (JOET) to implement joint issues between the Department of Energy (DOE) and DOT, including the coordination of support (e.g., technical assistance and data sharing) for NEVI and other charging infrastructure programs.¹² Additionally, FHWA may use up 1.5% each fiscal year for program administration. Table 1 summarizes the amounts set aside for these purposes and apportioned to the states for each fiscal year.

FHWA promulgated NEVI standards and requirements in February 2023, which established minimum standards for installation, operation, and maintenance of charging stations funded by NEVI and certain other federal funds.¹³

Status of NEVI Implementation

In October 2025, FHWA announced that the final year (FY2026) of NEVI formula funding was available for immediate obligation, pending FHWA approval of state deployment plans in accordance with revised NEVI program guidance.¹⁴ As of the date of this report, most state deployment plans have received FHWA approval.¹⁵ For NEVI formula funds, the point of obligation is when the agency and the recipient (e.g., a state) sign a project grant agreement.¹⁶ Thus, formula funds may be available or obligated to the states years before construction begins. Since FY2022, a total of $4.2 billion in NEVI formula funds have been made available to be obligated. According to FHWA, $527 million had been obligated by February 6, 2025.¹⁷ Subsequent documentation indicates that obligations increased to $1.4 billion of the $4.2 billion total available as of December 31, 2025.¹⁸

According to the EV States Clearinghouse, an estimated 183 NEVI-funded charging stations have opened across 20 states.¹⁹ Pennsylvania (36 charging stations) and Ohio (21 charging stations) have deployed the largest number of operational stations and were among the 12 states with fully built out AFCs as certified by FHWA.²⁰

Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Grant Program

Section 11401 of the IIJA established CFI, a discretionary grant program for the strategic deployment of publicly accessible alternative fuel infrastructure: EV charging infrastructure and hydrogen, propane, and natural gas fueling infrastructure.²¹ The IIJA authorized and appropriated $2.5 billion from the Highway Trust Fund for the implementation of CFI.²² The program is administered by FHWA.

CFI funds made available each fiscal year are split evenly between (1) the Charging and Alternative Fuel Corridor Grants (the "Corridor Program") for deploying infrastructure along designated AFCs; and (2) the Community Charging and Alternative Fueling Grants (the "Community Program") for deploying infrastructure in publicly accessible locations (e.g., schools, parks, public parking lots). The Community Program prioritizes projects in rural areas, low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, and communities with limited access to dedicated parking (e.g., lower rates of private parking or higher rates of multiunit housing). Projects are funded at an 80% federal cost share; recipients are responsible for the remaining 20% nonfederal share. Eligible state and local governments and public transportation authorities that receive grants may engage private partners to implement projects. These private partners may contribute in whole or in part to the nonfederal cost share. Some funding from NEVI's 10% set-aside has been put toward CFI funding opportunities.²³

Status of CFI Implementation

FHWA has made available a total of $1.8 billion in CFI funds and issued awards across three rounds of funding to 147 projects across 44 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.²⁴ Table 2 summarizes the amount of CFI funds from each fiscal year that was made available in each round of funding. The last round of recipients was announced by the Biden Administration in January 2025.²⁵ FHWA has not announced any new notices of funding opportunity for the remaining $700 million authorized for FY2026 as of the date of this report.

Nearly all of the CFI-funded projects—143 out of 147—support EV charging infrastructure. While the total number of operational CFI-funded charging stations is unclear, the most recent updates from JOET reported that CFI-funded charging stations had opened in Washington (76 charging ports) and Massachusetts (8 charging ports).²⁶ JOET has not published any updates since January 17, 2025.²⁷

Policy Developments

On January 20, 2025, Executive Order 14154, "Unleashing American Energy," established a policy to "eliminate the 'electric vehicle (EV) mandate'" and directed an immediate 90-day pause of IIJA grant program disbursements, specifically for NEVI and CFI.²⁸ In February 2025, FHWA rescinded the 2024 NEVI program guidance and suspended approval of state deployment plans.²⁹ FHWA's announcement stated that, "effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program until the updated final NEVI Formula Program Guidance is issued and new State plans are submitted and approved."

In August 2025, FHWA issued revised NEVI program guidance, allowing for the submission of new state deployment plans.³⁰ According to FHWA, the 2025 NEVI program guidance "align[s] with the Trump Administration's priorities of safety, efficiency, and innovation."³¹ Prior to FHWA issuing revised guidance, a coalition of states filed a lawsuit in May 2025 challenging the Administration's pause on NEVI disbursements and suspension of obligations.³² In January 2026, a federal district court entered a final judgement that, among other things, enjoined the Administration from suspending or revoking previously approved state deployment plans or withholding NEVI funds "for any reason not set forth in the IIJA or applicable regulations."³³

A second lawsuit was filed in December 2025 by a coalition of states challenging the ongoing pause on CFI disbursements.³⁴ The states alleged that FHWA had not approved any new CFI obligations since the initial 90-day pause began.³⁵ As a federal-aid highway program, CFI's funding is available for four fiscal years, beginning with the fiscal year in which funding first becomes available.³⁶ For example, CFI funds that Congress made available for FY2022 that remained unobligated by the end of FY2025 would have lapsed on September 30, 2025, while new CFI obligations were paused. The states alleged that some Round 1A awards (for which $300 million was made available in FY2022) were not fully obligated "as of early 2025."³⁷ The case is ongoing.

A third legal challenge emerged in response to reporting that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) had directed DOT to withhold or cancel $135 million in CFI grants, reportedly citing "waste and mismanagement."³⁸ In March 2026, the four states that would be affected by the reported withholding or termination—California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota—amended an existing lawsuit, originally filed in February 2026, to challenge the OMB directive, though the four states alleged that they had not received notice of such cancellations.³⁹

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (P.L. 119-75), enacted in February 2026, transferred $503,756,000 of unobligated NEVI formula funds to other highway programs and activities.⁴⁰ The amount is to be derived in proportion to the states' unobligated balances from the FY2022 apportionments as of January 31, 2026. Individual states requested obligations at different paces, meaning that states with higher levels of prior obligations would experience comparatively smaller proportional reductions. Congress also transferred $75 million of unobligated NEVI funds that were designated for JOET and $300 million of unobligated funding from NEVI's 10% set-aside;⁴¹ some set-aside funding had previously been used toward CFI grants. These funds were transferred to other programs, such as the Tribal Transportation Program, the Nationally Significant Multimodal Freight and Highway Projects grant program (also known as INFRA), and the Reconnecting Communities Program.⁴² The Administration's FY2027 budget request proposed the cancellation of $4.2 billion in unobligated NEVI and CFI program funds.⁴³

In 2025, President Trump established tariffs on certain imported materials and components (e.g., steel, aluminum, and semiconductors), which have applications in the manufacturing of EV charging infrastructure.⁴⁴ Then, in February 2026, FHWA proposed a 100% domestic sourcing requirement for manufactured components for federally funded EV charging equipment.⁴⁵ This would result in an increase from 55% of the total cost of components, established by a Buy America requirements waiver issued in 2023 under the Biden Administration.⁴⁶ No known EV charging equipment would meet the proposed requirement as of the date of this report.⁴⁷ As a result, increasing the requirement to 100% could further complicate project development and implementation under both NEVI and CFI. The proposed requirement may also encourage investment to develop domestic manufacturing of EV charging equipment manufacturing that could meet the proposed requirement. In addition, staff reductions across federal agencies in 2025—including DOT and DOE—may have posed, and could continue to pose, challenges to the implementation of these programs.⁴⁸

Considerations for Congress

Legislative and executive actions since the start of the 119^th Congress illustrate the ways federal policy changes may influence how deployment of EV charging infrastructure occurs (e.g., administration, implementation, and pace of federally funded EV charging infrastructure). While the deployment of charging infrastructure may continue, uncertainties in federal support may contribute to delays for states, grant recipients, and private-sector partners responsible for project planning and execution. Other challenges include unexpected changes to project costs that could result in a concentration of investments in higher-utilization areas while slowing deployment in rural or lower-demand areas—areas that NEVI and CFI were designed in part to address.

Federal programs represent only one component of a broader national effort that includes private investment by automakers, charging network operators, utilities, commercial property developers, and state and local initiatives. A reduction of federal investment may lead to increased private-sector investments in charging infrastructure deployment; and industry leaders (e.g., vehicle and infrastructure manufacturers, delivery services companies, commercial developers) may strengthen their commitments to vehicle electrification.

If Congress concludes that the current trajectory of NEVI and CFI is satisfactory, it may take no further action on these programs, preserving the status quo wherein implementation of NEVI and CFI and the availability of program funding are determined by the Administration, the states, and the federal courts. If Congress determines that additional legislative changes are needed, it may choose to transfer or cancel NEVI and CFI program funds, or otherwise terminate these programs. Several bills have been introduced in the 119^th Congress with this purpose: the Undoing Nationwide Programs and Limiting Unnecessary Grants for Electric Vehicles Act (UNPLUG EVs Act; H.R. 1052); the Unplug the Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Programs Act (H.R. 1513 and S. 651); and the Highway Funding Flexibility Act of 2025 (H.R. 3972 and S. 1066). Congress also may cancel unobligated NEVI and CFI funds as proposed in the Administration's FY2027 budget request. Alternatively, Congress may choose to restore transferred or canceled program funds, as proposed in the Energy Bills Relief Act (H.R. 7977), or establish new grant programs for charging infrastructure, as proposed in the Climate Justice Grants Act (H.R. 6615) and the Wireless Electric Vehicle Charging Grant Program Act of 2025 (H.R. 1892). The specific impact of potential legislative changes on future EV charging infrastructure deployment remains to be seen.

Footnotes