Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, recently turned to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for clarification about the federal National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, which is dedicated to building a nationwide EV charging network with a $7.5 billion budget.
Musk asked Buttigieg to correct misinformation spread by Republican leaders, including claims that the government had spent billions on only a few charging stations.
Buttigieg clarified that the $7.5 billion is the total program budget for NEVI, part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
States apply for funding, and once approved, they are responsible for building the chargers, not the federal government. Musk responded with an acknowledgment, saying, “This is helpful to understand.”
Despite criticism about the slow rollout, Buttigieg pointed out that nine states already have NEVI-funded chargers in operation, with more expected by 2030.
The program aims to create a nationwide network of fast chargers, with the next round of funding worth $521 million set to help 29 states.
