Biden’s $7.5 Billion EV Charger Program Falls Short, GAO Report Reveals Major Setbacks

July 23, 2025 - A scathing report released Tuesday by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) has exposed significant failures in the Biden administration’s $7.5 billion electric vehicle (EV) charger initiative, part of the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Despite lofty promises to build a nationwide network of 500,000 charging stations by 2030, the program has delivered only 384 charging ports across 68 stations in 16 states as of April 2025—equating to a staggering cost of approximately $19.5 million per port.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Department of Transportation (DOT) under Secretary Pete Buttigieg, aimed to alleviate “range anxiety” and accelerate EV adoption by funding the construction of fast chargers along major highways through the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, backed by $5 billion, and the Charging and Fueling Infrastructure (CFI) Discretionary Grant Program, with $2.5 billion. However, the GAO report highlights a litany of delays, mismanagement, and unspent funds, raising questions about the program’s effectiveness and oversight.

Slow Rollout and Minimal Progress

The GAO found that, despite distributing over $2.4 billion to states, only a fraction has translated into operational infrastructure. As of April 2025, the 384 ports represent less than 0.08% of the administration’s 500,000-port goal. States like Ohio, New York, Pennsylvania, and Hawaii have opened stations, but many others have yet to award contracts or break ground. The report attributes the sluggish pace to complex federal requirements, including stringent reliability standards (chargers must operate 97% of the time), labor certifications, and site selection processes that have bogged down state agencies unfamiliar with EV infrastructure deployment.

Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR) called the progress “pathetic” in June 2024, noting that just seven stations were operational at that time with a few dozen ports. The GAO’s latest figures suggest only marginal improvement, with critics pointing to bureaucratic inefficiencies as the root cause. “This is a vast administrative failure,” Merkley said, echoing concerns raised by Republican lawmakers who have questioned the program’s cost-effectiveness.

Financial Mismanagement and Unspent Funds

The $7.5 billion allocation has drawn scrutiny for its poor return on investment. With less than 400 ports built, the cost per port far exceeds industry estimates for private-sector projects, where companies like Tesla and Rivian have deployed thousands of chargers at a fraction of the cost. The GAO noted that much of the funding remains unspent, with $6 billion still available—a figure President Donald Trump has targeted for rescission following his administration’s February 2025 suspension of the program pending a review.

The Trump administration’s decision to pause the initiative and rescind state plan approvals has sparked legal challenges. In May 2025, California and 15 other states sued the DOT, alleging the federal government illegally withheld at least $3 billion in awarded funds. The White House Office of Management and Budget has countered that the pause aligns with statutory obligations, dismissing the GAO’s findings as “partisan” and “legally indefensible.

Contributing Factors and Criticism

The GAO report identifies several factors contributing to the program’s woes. Biden-era executive orders mandating that 40% of climate funding benefit “underserved communities”—including affluent areas like Martha’s Vineyard—have complicated site selection and increased administrative burdens. Additionally, the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, tasked with coordinating the effort, lacks defined performance goals with measurable targets, hindering progress tracking.

Private sector leaders have contrasted the government’s struggles with their own successes. Tesla, which has built over 2,000 Supercharger stations since the early 2020s, and Rivian, with 400 chargers in 67 locations, have demonstrated faster deployment, often with partial government subsidies. Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO and a key figure in xAI’s AI supercluster projects, has not commented directly on the EV charger debacle but has historically criticized government inefficiencies.

Public and Political Backlash

The program’s failures have fueled bipartisan criticism. Republicans, including Representatives Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Jeff Duncan (R-SC), have accused the administration of “woefully mismanaging” taxpayer dollars, while Democrats like Merkley have called for urgent fixes. Social media reactions, including from conservative outlets like The Western Journal, have labeled it an “unfathomable failure,” with users on X mocking the $19.5 million per port figure as evidence of waste.

The General Services Administration’s cancellation of 32 EV charging projects worth $23 million in April 2025 further underscores the program’s challenges, with federal agencies directed to disconnect non-essential chargers. This move reflects a broader shift under the Trump administration to redirect funds toward traditional infrastructure like roads and bridges.

Looking Ahead

With the program’s future uncertain, experts warn that the slow rollout could hinder EV adoption, which has seen sales growth stall at 7.3% in the U.S. during the second quarter of 2025, per industry data. The GAO recommends improved performance management and clearer goals, but political gridlock and the administration’s pause may delay any recovery. As private companies continue to bridge the charging gap, the Biden-era vision of a nationwide EV network remains a distant prospect, leaving taxpayers to foot the bill for a project that has yet to deliver.