Federal Contract for EV Education and Test Drives Abruptly Terminated by Department of Energy
By Chris Celek, EVA Executive Director
A contract with the federal government that provided funding for Electric Vehicle Association volunteer chapters to host electric vehicle test drive events this year and beyond has been terminated early by the Department of Energy (DOE).
Our partners at Plug In America are fighting to keep the $5 million agreement with the DOE to reach 5 million consumers with practical, brand-neutral information about EVs, charging and incentives. Without warning, DOE sent termination letters canceling the organization’s PlugStar Consumer EV Education Campaign less than halfway into the three-year project.
The EVA has a contract with Plug In America to organize 65 test drive events across the country in 2025, 2026, and 2027. The funding would enable our volunteer members to pay for educational materials, insurance, supplies, advertising, venue fees, and other event costs.
The justification for the cancellation was, “This project no longer effectuates program goals regarding feasibility due to a shift in the Department of Energy’s priorities.”
This unique national EV education project is financed through obligated federal funds, creating a legal liability for the DOE to disburse funds in accordance with the terms of the award. Plug In America intends to appeal the early contract termination.
“We are highly skeptical about the legality of this decision and will do everything we can to fight for our contract,” Plug In America executive director Joel Levin said. “When consumers understand the benefits of these cars, they want EVs. This decision, if permanent, has the potential to slow down the shift to electric transportation happening in our country.”
EVA leaders also consider the cancellation a loss for the nation.
With the federal EV education grant, EVA members organized 13 local community events attended by 16,379 people this year.
Their neighbors learned about all of the benefits of electric vehicles, including how they can enable American consumers to significantly reduce their transportation costs for fuel and maintenance. Our volunteers had planned to provide 52 more test drive opportunities for their neighbors in rural, suburban, and urban communities across the United States in 2026 and 2027.
Participating EVA chapters in 2025 included:
EVA of Georgia
Hawaii EVA
EVA of Ohio
NY Capital District EVA
Oregon EVA
Nevada EVA
New Jersey EVA
Valley of the Sun EVA (Arizona)
EVA Chapters Hosted 13 Test Drive Events in 2025
The Department of Energy’s early termination of the EV education grant will force our volunteers to scale back or cancel 52 test drive events planned for 2026 and 2027 and the launch of additional volunteer chapters in areas with low EV adoption rates.
That’s a shame, because the future of transportation in our country and around the world is electric. The federal government's shunning of electric vehicles is causing American industries to lose out on jobs created from the EV sector. These job losses extend to associated infrastructure and technological developments related to EVs, which will only push us further behind.
While our national partner, Plug In America, is appealing this decision, we cannot risk losing momentum. Please help us make up for this critical funding shortfall. Your contribution will go directly toward the on-the-ground costs, like insurance, permits, and educational materials, that make these test drive events possible.
While we sincerely appreciate your support, we understand that not everyone is able to donate. Your support can also take the form of sharing our content on social media (links below in footer), telling your friends and family about EVA and the work we do, and referring any potential sponsors or partners to us.