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DETROIT FREE PRESS: Dingell sounds alarm over reports that EV chargers to be shut off at federal properties

A Michigan congresswoman is sounding the alarm over reports that the U.S. General Services Administration has or soon will order electric vehicle chargers on federal property across the nation to be shut off.

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, wrote a letter to President Donald Trump on Wednesday voicing "deep concern" over media reports that the agency − which manages federal properties and resources across the country − had made such an order to shut off some 8,000 electric vehicle (EV) charging station as part of the Trump administration's move away from promoting the technology and EV sales.

If true, Dingell said, "This decision undermines previous federal investments in EV infrastructure, raises serious concerns about waste and inefficiency, and threatens our competitiveness in the global automotive industry." She added that some federal offices had already begun decommissioning chargers following correspondence saying they were "not mission critical."

Dingell also noted that under the previous administration, plans were announced to purchase or lease more than 58,000 EVs for the federal government as well as install more than 25,000 charging ports. As of fiscal year 2023, GSA reports indicated the agency had just under 9,000 zero-emission vehicles in its fleet of more than 670,000 vehicles, including battery-powered EVs and plug-in hybrids, and 4,000 more had been ordered by early 2024.

"Plans are in place to offload EVs from the federal fleet, marking a sharp reversal from the initiatives of the previous administration," Dingell said in her letter.

On Wednesday, Bloomberg News cited a source saying that GSA had ordered that EV chargers at federal buildings around the country be turned off. Last week, the website The Verge first reported that the GSA was making the order, saying official guidance on the policy was expected this week.

GSA, however, has not made public any order to shut off EV chargers or reduce its fleet of EVs. On Wednesday, an agency spokesperson told the Free Press that the purchase of EVs has been temporarily suspended under an order suspending all new agency obligations put in place after Trump took office and that GSA is working to determine if EV equipment, including that ordered or already installed, is "mission critical in nature."

The spokesperson added, "At this time, no action has been taken regarding existing EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) at federal buildings across the country."

During his campaign last year, Trump hammered at efforts by Democratic President Joe Biden to spur EV adoption, saying it would ruin the domestic auto industry. Upon entering office last month, Trump signed orders pledging to end what he called an "EV mandate."

Dingell in her letter chastised Trump for any decision to shut down EV chargers or reduce the EV fleet and his previous decision to suspend an effort to install EV chargers nationwide. "These actions will slow the overall adoption of EVs in the U.S. rather than accelerate it," she said.

"Your administration claims to be committed to eliminating waste, fraud and abuse, but dismantling federal charging stations and offloading the federal EV fleet is fiscally irresponsible," she continued. "Not only is it wasteful to shut down infrastructure the government already owns, but continuing to operate EVs also saves the government money through lower fuel and maintenance costs compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles."

Sam Abuelsamid, vice president of market research at Telemetry Insights, a research and consulting firm in Detroit, also told the Free Press that most federal chargers are L2, or Level 2, and cost less and take longer to fully charge an EV than Level 3 chargers, meaning any cost savings of shutting them down is likely to be small.