Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg went to X on Monday to fact-check misleading claims about the status of a Biden administration initiative to increase charging for electric vehicles.
Earlier in the day, Michael Rulli claimed the federal government had spent $7.5 billion to build eight electric vehicle charging stations, which he called “evidence of wasting billions on something that no one wants, while millions of people struggle to afford the things they need.” The president-elect’s son, Donald Trump Jr., retweeted Rulli’s post, saying the program “doesn’t seem like a big return on investment… but hey, he checked a woke box, so it’s definitely worth it the pain.”
In response to these messages, Buttigieg said their information was “false.”
“For starters, $7.5 billion wasn’t spent or anything like that. This is the entire budget of the NEVI program [National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure] program, which aims to help build a national charging network by 2030,” the official wrote in a thread.
“Second, chargers are now operational in nine states (which doesn’t mean 9 chargers, to be clear). These are just the first handful though. Most are to be built in the second half of the decade,” he added. “Third, in this program, the chargers are built by the states, not the federal government. And while it takes time to implement a new multibillion-dollar program in 50 states, they are on the right track.
The exchange caught the attention of Trump ally and electric vehicle maker Elon Musk, who said Buttigieg’s information was “helpful to understand.”
Buttigieg said online claims about excessive spending on electric vehicle chargers were misleading (AFP via Getty Images)
Despite Buttigieg’s rebuttal, conservatives aren’t the only ones concerned about the slow rollout of the bipartisan infrastructure law’s $7.5 billion plan to boost electric vehicle charging stations.
As of March this year, only seven stations in four states have been built.
“I think a lot of people watching this are worried about the timeline,” said Alexander Laska, deputy director for transportation and innovation at the center-left think tank Third Way.The Washington Post at the time.
The Department of Transportation has approved plans for other NEVI projects in all 50 states, according to its website.
The back-and-forth over X is also a reminder of Musk’s unique position within the new administration, which combines self-interest and public policy.
Musk, as head of the Trump administration’s nongovernmental DOGE commission on government spending cuts, could have enormous influence over the federal budget, which currently awards contracts and grants to Musk companies like SpaceX and Tesla.
The world’s richest person, despite publicly boasting that Tesla didn’t need subsidies, recently spoke out against a California plan to revive consumer tax credits for electric vehicles if Trump is following through on an expected move to reduce them, instituting a state policy that may not include Tesla. .
The billionaire called the proposal “crazy.”
