Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg took to the X on Monday to address false claims about the status of the Biden administration’s plans to build more electric vehicle chargers.
Earlier that day, Michael Rulli said that the federal government spent $7.5 billion to build eight charging stations for electric cars, in what he called “evidence of wasting billions on something they don’t need, while millions struggle to get the things they need.” The president-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr., echoed Rulli’s message, saying the project “doesn’t look like a huge return on investment … but hey he looked at the box so it’s worth it.”
In response to those posts, Buttigieg said their information was “false.”
“First, $7.5B has not been spent, if at all. That is the entire budget of the NEVI project [National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure] project, to help build a charging network by 2030,” the official wrote in a summary.
“Secondly, there are chargers working in nine districts (which does not mean that 9 chargers should be clear). These are just the first few. Most will be built in the second half of the decade, “he added. “Thirdly, in this project the chargers are built by the state, not the federal government. And although it will take time to get the project of billions of dollars to the 50 states, the countries are on the way.”
The exchange was watched by Trump aide and EV developer Elon Musk, who said Buttigieg’s experience was “helpful to understand.”
Buttigieg said online claims about spending more on EV chargers were misleading (AFP via Getty Images)
Despite arguments from Buttigieg, conservationists aren’t the only ones responsible for the delayed rollout of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law’s $7.5bn plan to develop EV charging stations.
As of March this year, only seven stations in four states have been built.
“I think a lot of people who are watching this are worried about the timing,” Alexander Laska, deputy director of transportation and arts at the center-left think tank Third Way told.The Washington Post at that time.
The Department of Transportation has approved plans for more NEVI projects in all 50 states, according to its website.
The back-and-forth on X is also a reminder of Musk’s unique position within the incoming administration, which combines personal interest and public policy.
Musk, as head of the non-governmental DOGE commission to control government spending, can have significant influence over the federal budget, which currently provides contracts and subsidies to Musk’s businesses such as SpaceX and Tesla.
The world’s richest man, despite publicly boasting that Tesla didn’t need a subsidy, recently objected to California’s plan to reintroduce a consumer EV tax if Trump follows through with a measure expected to cut them, imposing a state law that would likely include Tesla. .
The billionaire called this statement “crazy.”