NEVI

Program size and mechanism

The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Program provides $5.0 billion over FY2022-2026 ($1.0B/year) under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (Public Law 117-58, Nov 2021), administered by FHWA with the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation.

• Funds are apportioned to states by formula; each state must submit an EV Infrastructure Deployment Plan for approval.
• Money first builds out designated Alternative Fuel Corridors (DC fast chargers roughly every 50 miles, 150 kW-plus), at an 80% federal cost share, before broadening to other public roads.

What changed in 2025-2026

The program was frozen, then restored by litigation:

• On February 6, 2025 FHWA (following a January 29, 2025 DOT memo implementing Executive Order 14154) rescinded the June 2024 NEVI guidance and suspended approval of all state plans, halting new fund obligations.
• On May 7, 2025 a coalition of 17 states and DC sued in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington (State of Washington v. USDOT, No. 2:25-cv-00848). GAO separately found the withholding violated the Impoundment Control Act.
• In June 2025 the court granted a preliminary injunction for 14 states, unfreezing roughly $1 billion (denying relief for DC, Minnesota, and Vermont on irreparable-harm grounds).
• FHWA issued Interim Final Program Guidance effective August 13, 2025 (FR 2025-15370), superseding prior guidance and directing states to resubmit plans; reviews resumed.
• On January 23, 2026 the court granted summary judgment for the plaintiffs, holding the freeze arbitrary, capricious, and beyond statutory authority, vacating the plan revocations and barring withholding of NEVI funds for reasons not authorized by Congress.

As of mid-2026 funds are flowing again, with charging build-out resumed. A pending FY2026 appropriations bill reportedly threatens to rescind or transfer a portion of the funding, a developing legislative risk.

Hiring relevance

NEVI directly funds charging-site construction, electrical work, and network-operations roles. The 2025 freeze stalled awards and pipeline hiring; the court-ordered restoration and August 2025 guidance reopened obligations, though the FY2026 appropriations threat keeps the multi-year build-out and its workforce demand uncertain.