U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg faced a wave of criticism and ridicule after appearing on CBS News’ Face the Nation on Sunday, where he struggled to explain why only a handful of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations have been completed despite the Biden administration allocating $7.5 billion for the effort under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The administration’s ambitious goal of deploying 500,000 EV chargers by 2030 has been under scrutiny as progress remains slow.
When host Margaret Brennan pressed Buttigieg on the Federal Highway Administration’s report that only seven or eight chargers have been built since 2021, his response pointed to the complexity of the task. “It’s more than just plunking a small device into the ground,” Buttigieg said, adding that utility work and coordination with all 50 states have contributed to the delay. Despite these challenges, he emphasized that the administration remains committed to its 2030 goal.
Pete Buttigieg has a VERY tough time trying to explain why “only 7 or 8 [electric vehicle] charging stations have been produced with the $7.5 BILLION investment that taxpayers made back in 2021” pic.twitter.com/ajxWUl69R1
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) May 26, 2024
The remarks quickly drew backlash on social media. Critics accused the administration of inefficiency and mismanagement. Simon Ateba, chief White House correspondent at Today News Africa, posted on X (formerly Twitter), “BREAKING- MASSIVE FAILURE BY BIDEN — Only 7 EV charging stations produced in 3 years instead of 50,000 per year to meet goal.” The post highlighted the disparity between the administration’s promises and the results thus far.
The Republican National Committee’s research team shared a clip of the interview, captioning it, “Pete Buttigieg has a VERY tough time trying to explain why ‘only 7 or 8 [electric vehicle] charging stations have been produced with the $7.5 BILLION investment that taxpayers made back in 2021.’”
Pete Buttigieg will leave his post as Transportation Secretary having spent $7.5 BILLION to build 8 EV charging stations.
His legacy will be squandering billions on something nobody wants, while millions struggle to afford the things they need. pic.twitter.com/iIQzvkPfTJ
— Michael Rulli (@michaelrulli) November 24, 2024
Critics from across the political spectrum joined the chorus. Independent journalist Nick Sortor questioned the cost efficiency of the program compared to private companies like Tesla, writing, “Guarantee it doesn’t cost Tesla $1B each. Why does Pete still have a job?” Similarly, former Senator Ted Cruz communications adviser Steve Guest posted, “CBS’s Margaret Brennan laughs in Pete Buttigieg’s face when he is unable to explain why only 7 or 8 electric vehicle charging stations have been built despite the Biden admin spending $7.5 BILLION to build chargers.”
Buttigieg’s defense, pointing to the “absolute very, very beginning stages” of the rollout, did little to mollify critics who expected faster results after two years. The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program, funded by the law, is tasked with creating a nationwide network of EV chargers, particularly along major highways. However, the slow progress has raised concerns about whether federal and state agencies can effectively manage such a large-scale infrastructure project.
REPORT: The Biden administration invested $7.5 billion into EV charging & produced just *8* charging stations over 4 years.
The Department of Transportation led by Pete Buttigieg is being mocked for the massive failure.
For comparison, a Tesla Supercharger costs less than… pic.twitter.com/G4MM7W6rkl
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) November 24, 2024
