Maryland joined a coalition of states and Washington, D.C. in a lawsuit Wednesday to overturn an executive order from President Donald Trump that blocks billions in funding for electric vehicle charging stations.
It’s one measure the state has taken to push back against recent federal action against electric vehicle expansion, which could impact Maryland’s shift away from gas-powered cars in the last decade.
Here’s a look at how electric vehicle infrastructure and ownership has changed in Maryland and the federal and state legislation that threatens its success.
Electric vehicle expansion in Maryland
The state has more than 100,000 registered electric vehicles concentrated in populous areas like Baltimore and Montgomery County. There are over 1,400 charging stations as of April 2025, which have more than tripled since 2015.
Most of these vehicles are battery electric, meaning there’s a battery and electric motor instead of a gasoline tank and combustion engine. Plug-in hybrid and battery electric cars are both considered electric, but plug-in hybrids are both gas and battery powered.
Willett Kempton, a University of Delaware professor and renewable energy expert, said the world is shifting to electric cars and that programs that support electric vehicles can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
In Maryland, about one third of carbon dioxide emissions are from cars, according to the state’s Department of the Environment.
“You have less air pollution from electric vehicles than gasoline vehicles,” Kempton said. “In states that are more renewable, it’s much better.”
State electric vehicle programs
In Maryland, there have been several initiatives to make electric vehicle expansion more feasible, some of which have been met with resistance.
The Maryland Energy Administration rolled out a program this year to increase access to affordable electric vehicle charging stations as part of Gov. Wes Moore’s 2024 pledge to invest $23 million for grants to install electric vehicle charging infrastructure in low and moderate income communities.
Maryland is also one in a handful of states that have adopted California’s vehicle sale regulations. This means that every new passenger vehicle sold in Maryland will be zero-emission or hybrid by 2035 through gradually increasing sales targets starting in 2027, requiring 43% of cars sold in the state by a manufacturer that model year to be electric.
But in early April, Moore issued an executive order that could delay penalties for manufacturers that don’t meet sales goals outlined under the program. It allows the environmental department to exercise more discretion by not enforcing penalties in 2027 and 2028.
A spokesperson from the Maryland Sierra Club said in an email to Capital News Service that programs like the sales regulations have been successful and are necessary to reduce pollution from gas-powered cars.
“Regulations that increase sales of electric vehicles carry significant environmental and public health benefits by reducing the pollution from gas-and diesel-burning vehicles,” the email read.
Federal pushback
In 2022, Maryland lawmakers approved $63 million in funding as part of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program — a 2021 initiative from former President Joe Biden’s administration that aimed to build charging networks beyond urban areas to help combat climate change.
In early February, the Trump administration notified state transportation directors that they can no longer spend funds from the program — an action the states are fighting through Wednesday’s lawsuit. They argue cutting funding entirely requires approval from Congress.
About $12 million of the program’s funding has already been awarded to Maryland, according to a dashboard tracking NEVI funding run by Atlas Public Policy.
In an email to Capital News Service, the Maryland Department of Transportation said it’s “prepared and poised” to continue building out charging infrastructure as part of the second round of funding.
“While NEVI Round 2 formula funds are paused temporarily, we count on [the Federal Highway Administration] to release these Congressionally appropriated funds along with new NEVI program guidance as soon as possible,” the email read.
Electric vehicle prices may rise
Between 2022 and 2024, average electric vehicle prices dropped by about $10,000, closing the gap to reach industry average, according to an Alliance for Automobile Innovation analysis. But Trump’s 25% tariff levied on imported cars and auto parts that took effect in early April may also hit electric vehicles, depending on how much of a model is manufactured outside the U.S.
In Maryland, the most common electric vehicle model is the Tesla, with more than 50,000 registrations.
Most Tesla models have at least 60% of their contents made in the U.S., while companies like Toyota or Volvo have little to none of their parts manufactured domestically, according to National Highway Administration data.
Tariffs uniquely affect cars because their parts are often shipped across country borders multiple times because of the car manufacturing industry, according to University of Maryland associate professor of economics Ethan Kaplan.
“If [a car] were shipped at full value every time getting a 25% tariff, that would be 150% tariff total, you would be more than doubling the price of the car,” Kaplan said. “This is why this is a really bad idea.”
As a result, less people will be purchasing cars, including electric vehicles, according to Loyola University Maryland accounting professor JP Krahel.
“Across the country, anybody who’s buying a car is going to pay a higher price for it,” he said.