The General Services Administration will remove electric vehicle chargers from federal properties across the United States, marking a significant shift in federal energy policy. The agency has declared that the hundreds of charging stations and roughly 8,000 plugs currently available to federal workers are “not mission critical.”
Beyond removing chargers, the GSA plans to sell off electric vehicles purchased during the Biden administration. This decision aligns with the current administration’s stance against electric vehicles and green energy initiatives.
President Trump has consistently opposed EV mandates and is currently challenging California’s regulations, which require all new cars sold in the state to be electric by 2035.
This reversal comes after substantial investment in clean energy through the Inflation Reduction Act, which allocated $975 million to the GSA for implementing sustainable technologies in federal buildings.Â
The change appears particularly striking given that Elon Musk, who runs Tesla, the trillion-dollar electric car company, is now working closely with the Trump administration.
Federal Charging Stations Targeted for Shutdown
An email from the GSA, reviewed by The Verge, instructs federal workers to begin the shutdown process for charging stations. The agency must first cancel network contracts before turning off the chargers “at the breaker” – language that seems to emphasize the administration’s determination to remove these facilities.
Musk, who leads Trump’s DOGE cost-cutting initiative, might be behind this decision.Â
While this might seem unexpected given Musk’s history with Tesla and his previous support for green energy, his recent positions have shifted. He now opposes EV subsidies and tax credits, even as Chinese manufacturers gain ground in the global electric vehicle market.
Some analysts suggest this stance might benefit Tesla, which is already profitable per vehicle while making it harder for competitors who still rely on government support to scale up their operations.
The removal of federal charging stations might also benefit Tesla’s Supercharger network by reducing competition. This move follows the administration’s recent pause on $3 billion in funding for public charging infrastructure.
Defenders of the decision point to reported issues with existing federal charging stations. Many are apparently slower Level 2 chargers using outdated standards like CHAdeMO, and federal employees still had to pay to use them. Some argue that removing underutilized or problematic chargers makes sense, especially given plans to reduce the federal workforce.
New Policy Prioritizes Fossil Fuels, Hindering EV Transition
The policy shift is a public departure from previous green energy policies, and the new government appears to favor traditional fuel-powered vehicles to electric vehicles. Opponents argue the policy shift will hinder America’s transition to green transport and dilute its leadership position in the competitive international EV market.
Its more general implications run beyond charging infrastructure itself. It is a break with the prevailing paradigm of environmental and energy-infrastructure policy pursued by the federal government, impacting future investment opportunities in clean technology on federal grounds nationwide.
Musk’s attention now appears to have turned away from Tesla’s core business of selling electric cars. His attention is now divided between his government duties and running his social media platform, X, despite family counsel.
Tesla itself is changing, as hinted by Musk that it would be an AI robotics company.
The new national policy appears to be going in the opposite direction of renewable energy sources, with some calling it a “roll coal” plan to favor traditional gas-guzzling fossil fuel cars over electric.
This shift may have long-lasting implications for the role of the federal government in promoting clean energy and the broader adoption of electric cars in America.
