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The GSA Is Shutting Down Its EV Chargers (theverge.com) 160

The General Services Administration (GSA) is shutting down its nationwide electric vehicle (EV) chargers, deeming them "not mission critical." The U.S. government agency also plans to offload newly purchased EVs, reversing initiatives from the Biden administration aimed at transitioning the federal vehicle fleet to electric. The Verge reports: The GSA currently operates several hundred EV chargers across the country, with approximately 8,000 plugs that are available for government-owned EVs as well as federal employees' personally owned vehicles.

The official guidance instructing federal workers to begin the process of shutting down the chargers will be announced internally next week, according to a source with knowledge of the plans. Some regional offices have been told to start taking their chargers offline, according to an email viewed by The Verge. "As GSA has worked to align with the current administration, we have received direction that all GSA owned charging stations are not mission critical," the email reads.

The GSA is working on the timing of canceling current network contracts that keep the EV chargers operational. Once those contracts are canceled, the stations will be taken out of service and "turned off at the breaker," the email reads. Other chargers will be turned off starting next week. "Neither Government Owned Vehicles nor Privately Owned Vehicles will be able to charge at these charging stations once they're out of service," it concludes.

The GSA Is Shutting Down Its EV Chargers

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  • by quonset ( 4839537 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @05:54PM (#65185835)

    Think of how much it cost to install these chargers, and how much it saved the government in fuel costs. All of that will be lost like tears in the rain.

    Nice to know there's so much concern for how my tax dollars are wasted.

    • by Valgrus Thunderaxe ( 8769977 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @06:04PM (#65185849)
      Thank dog for DOGE

      /s
      • That comment was not "troll". I hope that moderator has a better day tomorrow.

        • by Powercntrl ( 458442 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @08:14PM (#65186077) Homepage

          That comment was not "troll". I hope that moderator has a better day tomorrow.

          What these people abusing the moderation system don't realize is that they've just caused the rest of us to adjust our thresholds to show everything anyway. I don't want posts hidden because I might not agree with the political lean of the poster; I'd rather hit reply and throw in my $0.02.

          • by kriston ( 7886 )

            I've been on Slashdot since the beginning and I have never been offered moderation features, so, whatever.

            • by shanen ( 462549 )

              Sounds like you also have no idea how the moderation works, so the security by obscurity must be working.

              I actually did get some moderation points. Long time ago. I remember my Slashdot history more in term of the hiatuses. Last one was something over a year, but I think the mod points were before the long one. Five years or so? No idea why I got them or why I stopped getting them. Less idea why I should care, though in theory the moderation in particular and the website in general could be improved. (I sti

    • Re: (Score:2, Insightful)

      by magzteel ( 5013587 )

      Think of how much it cost to install these chargers, and how much it saved the government in fuel costs. All of that will be lost like tears in the rain.

      Nice to know there's so much concern for how my tax dollars are wasted.

      There were only " several hundred EV chargers across the country". They were planning to install many more. So maybe it's cheaper to halt the project. If they want chargers in the parking lots maybe they can offer a contract to Electrify America to own and operate them.

    • by timeOday ( 582209 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @06:12PM (#65185863)
      Anything to pump up the estimated number of dollars "saved."

      It's like watching Chairman Mao redirect agricultural output to smelting homestyle pot metal to drive up "production" figures.

      • by fahrbot-bot ( 874524 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @06:19PM (#65185873)

        Anything to pump up the estimated number of dollars "saved."

        Whilst also ignoring spending that will be required to compensate for that "savings".

        • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

          Presumably he must have calculated that having Trump remove EV chargers and subsidies must benefit Tesla and hurt his rivals, otherwise he wouldn't have allowed him to do it.

      • by dskoll ( 99328 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @06:34PM (#65185887) Homepage

        Elon Musk likes vandalizing things. Twitter was the practice run for his real goal... the USA.

        • I still run across people who honestly believe Twitter is doing great and that Musk saved it.

          • Legit question as I've been a minimal to no Twitter user for over a decade. Are you saying operationally Twitter is doing poorly or content wise? From my limited view content wise it seems as trashy and myopic as ever, from every direction. Operationally it seems fine?
      • by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @07:05PM (#65185945)
        For trillions of dollars in tax cuts for Trump and his buddies. They don't have enough votes in the House of Representatives to put through a high debt tax cut plan for the 1% so they have to slash and cut and cut and slash in order to appease the handful of lunatic budget hawks who don't understand how monetary policy works.

        Fun fact if you live in a rural community you're about to lose your hospital. That's because about a quarter of that hospital's revenue comes from Medicaid. Without that money the hospital shuts down. I hope you like driving 60 miles into town while trying to survive a heart attack...
        • I doubt they're really saving much money over this. It's just an ideological win for team red in their war against the so-called "EV mandate" windmill.

      • by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @07:18PM (#65185987)

        Federal employee salaries make up 5% of the budget making this all theater for the dim witted. Never thought I would see the day when republicans are cheering for higher unemployment numbers. If Biden authored an executive order stating that only he and the attorney general can say what is legal there would have been an impeachment hearing within the hour.

        • Federal employee salaries make up 5% of the budget ...

          It's not just their salaries. There are the costs and inefficiencies that their work would generate.

          For example the person who decided that federal retiree paperwork needs to literally be paper and stored in a salt mine. Imagine the savings if the person who came up with that idea had been fired, and whoever liked the idea and authorized the project.

          As a history nerd, I can almost accept the idea of all the WW2 era paperwork being salt mined (Sadly a large amount of personnel records were lost to a fi

          • And yet when Republicans had majority power they have never downsized agencies or attempted to repeal their own bills that created the agencies.

            I think one reason the Republican majority is sitting back and letting Trump get away with breaking all the laws is so that they have culpable deniability when their constituents ask where all their social security, medicare, medicaid, and foreign markets went.

            • by drnb ( 2434720 )

              And yet when Republicans had majority power they have never downsized agencies or attempted to repeal their own bills that created the agencies.

              So you are arguing that Trump is doing a better job than past administrations?

              FYI. Clinton/Gore attempted to reduced waste and downsize the government and had limited success. Republican support via the House of Representatives helped them do so. Democratic members of Congress were more protective of the bureaucracy than the Republican members.

              • No, because the executive has no authority to downsize agencies. He's doing worse because he breaking laws. If we want to save money it must be done by congress.

                • by drnb ( 2434720 )

                  No, because the executive has no authority to downsize agencies. He's doing worse because he breaking laws. If we want to save money it must be done by congress.

                  After downsizing an agency, the budget requested from Congress will be lower.

                  These agencies are in the executive branch of government, its the President who gets to set the policies and staffing levels necessary to execute the mission of the agency defined by law.

                  Also, Congress does not necessarily specify the details of the spending. They provide a bulk amount for a general goal and let the administrator of the agency figure out the details of spending that money on unspecified projects in unspecifie

                  • by Darinbob ( 1142669 ) on Saturday February 22, 2025 @12:43AM (#65186495)

                    If congress creates an agency, the executive cannot disband it. Period. That includes the CFPB. If congress says to spend $x, then they have to spend $x even if the president does not want to. I remember not too long ago when congress gave more money to the military than they asked for, they objected, but still got the money.

                    UNLESS, they declare that this is a coup and all laws are null and void, which they have not done. Yes, I understand the MAGA mentality that they WANT this to happen, but wanting something to happen does not nullify laws. LAWS ARE IMPORTANT. THE CONSTITUTION IS IMPORTANT. If the president does not like this then the president should urge congress to change the laws or start the creation of a new amendment. No shortcuts are allowed, and neither is coming into office and ruling by decree. Trump has been committing impeachable acts since the very first day in office, even if congress is sitting back and letting him do it. These are not activist judges who are stopping him, these are judges who are following the laws as laid out by congress.

                    I'm very sorry that so many Americans think that laws are optional and are only valid when convenient.

                    • by drnb ( 2434720 )

                      If congress creates an agency, the executive cannot disband it. Period.

                      That may be true, we'll ultimately have to have the Supreme Court determine where the precise line is in that regard. Again, the President may have complete freedom in determining what staffing level is necessary to fulfill the legally defined role of the agency.

                      Similarly, where Congress provides a bulk fund for a department administrator to decide how to spend, the President may have complete freedom with respect to oversight in that administrator's decisions. The agency being under executive branch con

                  • by AvitarX ( 172628 )

                    You sort of spell out the right way to do it.

                    Work it out for the next budget (that's about to come).

                    The wrong way is to break faith in the government and cut what's already been appropriated.

                    • by drnb ( 2434720 )
                      If the legal mission can reasonably be accomplished with less staff and less money spent that is likely perfectly legal. Otherwise we are getting into a Dilbert PHB sort of environment where folks think they have to spend every budget dollar even if the job has been accomplished, resulting in a bit of gold plating and wasteful spending. Been there, seen that.
              • by AvitarX ( 172628 )

                If bypassing the law to get shit done counts as a better job, then yes, Trump is doing a better job.

                I'd argue that executive and legislative working together is built into the constitution, and breaking all that counts as not for Ng a better job.

                But if you think the constitution and law is a hindrance that should be ignored, then Trump is one of the first to figure it out (well Jackson figured it out too...).

                • by drnb ( 2434720 )
                  I think you are conflating a situation where Congress budgets $X for specific item Y, as opposed to $X for general goal Z where an agency administrator has discretion over the detail. In the latter case the administrator is likely under the authority of the executive branch, where the President would have oversight regarding the administrator's choices. Which projects, what amounts to spend, what staffing levels are necessary, etc.
    • by fahrbot-bot ( 874524 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @06:13PM (#65185865)

      Think of how much it cost to install these chargers, and how much it saved the government in fuel costs. ... Nice to know there's so much concern for how my tax dollars are wasted.

      Agreed. While I could understand not installing any new chargers and not purchasing any new EVs, disabling / mothballing / selling the existing ones already purchased seems, putting it nicely, wasteful. And I can't imagine that any "savings" will offset the cost of going back to using fossil-fuel vehicles, at this point anyway. The only plausible reason for this is spite for all things Biden. I also have trouble imagining that this anti-EV position is popular with the real President, Elon ... /snark :-)

      • by SoftwareArtist ( 1472499 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @06:45PM (#65185907)

        I also have trouble imagining that this anti-EV position is popular with the real President, Elon

        On the contrary, he owns his own network of chargers. These ones competed with him. It's a win all around.

        • I also have trouble imagining that this anti-EV position is popular with the real President, Elon

          On the contrary, he owns his own network of chargers. These ones competed with him. It's a win all around.

          Normally I'd agree, but how many of his chargers are installed *at* government build sites? If it's none, then that argument doesn't work here.

          • I also have trouble imagining that this anti-EV position is popular with the real President, Elon

            On the contrary, he owns his own network of chargers. These ones competed with him. It's a win all around.

            Normally I'd agree, but how many of his chargers are installed *at* government build sites? If it's none, then that argument doesn't work here.

            Sure it does. Those EVs both the personally-owned ones and the ones the government is going to sell off to become personally-owned, will need to charge somewhere (when they can't charge at home, of course), and Tesla's network is everywhere.

    • Think of how much it cost to install these chargers, and how much it saved the government in fuel costs.

      Not to mention the depreciation of the vehicles. This makes no sense at all, which is why it doesn't surprise me Trump/Musk are doing it.

    • > and how much it saved the government in fuel costs

      Do we know this?

      It would be just like government to sign a conteact with "a vendor" to pay 10x the electric rate for charging.

      Without the details it's hard to say whether it's stupid or undoing stupid.

      I'll watch the auction sites for $1200 electric minivans, though.

    • But they are *not* mission critical.

      Now if they were armored Teslas...

    • by Z00L00K ( 682162 )

      Think of where Trump has his wallet.

      Of course Musk want every charger to be a Tesla charger so he can make more money because then he can charge non-Tesla cars more than Tesla cars for charging.

  • Tomorrow (Score:3, Funny)

    by ArchieBunker ( 132337 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @05:56PM (#65185839)

    It’s announced that all the chargers will be converted to Tesla.

  • by Teun ( 17872 )
    The difference between one old fuck and the other old fuck in office.
  • What's going on is bullshit, and no one is doing anything.
    • by fahrbot-bot ( 874524 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @06:40PM (#65185899)

      What's going on is bullshit, and no one is doing anything.

      Republicans control the White House, Congress (House *and* Senate) and ostensibly 6/9 of SCOTUS and they all either agree with Trump (and Musk) or are too cowardly to go against them. Democrats in office can only do so much to resist. Anything else is up to the electorate, which is slower to react, though that may be coming.

      Republican Congressman Faces Backlash at Town Hall Furious at Trump [newrepublic.com] (Feb 21, 2025) -- Google: gop booed town hall [google.com]:

      Representative Rich McCormick (R-GA), who represents a deep-red Trump district, was booed at his own town hall. ... as the town hall booed him. Another pressed McCormick on what he’ll do to “rein in the megalomaniac in the White House.”

      And Warning signs for Trump in new polling [politico.com] (Feb 20, 2025) notes that, according to several polls (Gallup, Post-Ipsos, etc...) his poll numbers are now lower -- and underwater -- compared to Inauguration Day, at about 46% Approve to 53% Disapprove, -- contrary to Trump's made up number of 70-80% approval. Google: trump polls underwater details [google.com]

      • by ukoda ( 537183 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @09:51PM (#65186221) Homepage
        I think you will find that "Anything else is up to the electorate" is pretty high up the agenda for this term to ensure the popular vote has nothing to do with who wins future elections. I think it is safe to say that republicans will be doing everything they can to make it impossible for democrats to ever be in power again by changing the way voting is done. They will be looking to how Putin solved the democracy problem since Russia is also a 'democracy', the type the republicans want have.

        It will be interesting to see if they will also try and get rid of term limits this term, so trump can become a dictator for life, or if they will wait so they can continue their agenda without him.
        • What do you mean? We have already passed the bill that says anyone who has ever voted Democrat will be deported and lose their citizenship. There literally won't be any democrats soon. Just literal Nazis.

          I read that on bluesky so you know it's true.

        • No argument on your first point.

          It will be interesting to see if they will also try and get rid of term limits this term, so trump can become a dictator for life,

          I think that'll be more difficult as it would require changing the Constitution and, even though some suck-up Republican Congressman (okay, redundant) has written up a bill to do that, practically (I don't think) it could be done before Trump left office, as it would require 2/3 of Congress and then 3/4 (38) of states to ratify it. Currently, only 23 states are completely controlled by Republicans (Governor, House, Senate). Even if that happened, Trump will 82 at the end

          • by dryeo ( 100693 )

            The loophole is that he can run for Vice-President and the President can resign or fall out a window and he becomes President legally.

            • The loophole is that he can run for Vice-President and the President can resign or fall out a window and he becomes President legally.

              Wikipedia notes [wikipedia.org] that the interaction of the 22nd and 12th Amendments is untested, so that loophole isn't guaranteed, though with the current makeup of SCOTUS ...

            • by ukoda ( 537183 )
              Ironically that is close to what I recall Putin doing. Going from memory he hit his term limit so arranged to have his 2IC as his puppet but clearly he didn't really like that arrangement so he got rid of term limits, had himself voted back in and stayed there ever since.
          • by redback ( 15527 )

            they probably have more chance of removing natural born citizen requirement so musk can run.

        • by redback ( 15527 )

          im thinking they are going to use DOGE to gather enough data on citizens to do voter fraud on a massive scale

  • by XXongo ( 3986865 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @06:11PM (#65185861) Homepage
    Reasonable to stop installing new chargers, I suppose, since the program to buy electric vehicles is ending, but what's the point of ripping out the already-installed ones? They're already paid for.
    • by DeanonymizedCoward ( 7230266 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @06:18PM (#65185871)

      Makes at least as much sense at North Carolina (lest anyone see the North part and forget that it's in the South) attempting to allocate public money to remove public EV chargers, and to prohibit private business owners installing their own unless they install free gas pumps as well.

      I don't know if that stupid bill ever passed, but it was proposed.

    • The chargers still require (regular) maintenance, and depending on their condition you could probably recoup some of their cost via an auction.

    • by blue trane ( 110704 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @08:17PM (#65186087) Homepage Journal

      Anyone one else reminded of Reagan ripping out the solar panels Carter put on the White House?

    • Reasonable to stop installing new chargers, I suppose, since the program to buy electric vehicles is ending, but what's the point of ripping out the already-installed ones? They're already paid for.

      From TFA, it looks like the chargers are ChargePoint L2 chargers. At least according to ChatGPT, the property owner is responsible for the costs of upkeep and maintenance of the EVSE equipment (unless a service contract has been purchased through ChargePoint). From what I've personally experienced at the local Whole Foods with busted ChargePoint chargers, yes, they do break and yes, sometimes the business owner doesn't spend the money to get have them repaired.

      I suppose they could've just let the network

  • by greytree ( 7124971 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @06:34PM (#65185885)
    I thought all the stupid shit they said they would do were bluffs.
    Part of a bigger game they were playing.

    But now it is very plain that there is no bigger game.

    EVs, wind turbines, the FBI appointee, Russia, Ukraine, etc etc etc

    They are simply vindictive and stupid.

    The world is fucked.
    • WE. TOLD. YOU. SO. (Score:5, Interesting)

      by ewhac ( 5844 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @07:15PM (#65185975) Homepage Journal

      I thought all the stupid shit they said they would do were bluffs. Part of a bigger game they were playing.

      WHY THE FUCK DID YOU THINK THAT!?

      What evidence did you have that was the case? What, during his previous four years, led you to believe that fucking slob had any kind of plan, other than willful infliction of gratuitious cruelty? Who the fuck were you listening to? Why!? And why did you believe them?

      Even before he descended that tacky golden escalator in 2015 to the thunderous cheers of paid extras (yes, all those people were hired from a local background actor casting agency), it's been obvious for decades that, at best, he's never been more than a ridiculous fool with too much money. And it absolutely boggles my mind that anyone, with easy, unobstructed access to the same set of facts -- all of which were always laying out in plain sight -- could possibly arrive at any other conclusion.

      They are simply vindictive and stupid.

      Since the illusions seem to finally be falling from your eyes, your may care to take this opportunity to re-examine your sources, and some of the cultural "truths" you've left unexamined.

      You might also want to read up on German history circa 1933 - 1945, 'cause it looks like we're in for a do-over. I mean, we know how this story's going to end -- the only remaining question is how many more people will needlessly suffer and die before we get there.

      • by ukoda ( 537183 )
        I knew next to nothing about trump until I saw an episode of The Apprentice. It was immediately clear the was a self centered asshole who couldn't give a shit about anyone other then himself. What I can't understand to this day is why the majority of the people in the USA voted for him. I used to think the average American was a reasonable person. Now I have lost my desire to ever go near the place again.
        • Trump was a laughing stock since the 80s. I'm from the west coast and I certainly heard all about him even though he was mostly famous in New York. Trump was everywhere, he's a big self promoter. The talk show circuit, move cameos, full page ads in the papers, really really creepy photos of himself in a bathrobe, etc. The only reason he got The Apprentice gig was because he was a well known name. But I suspect this was an American thing, other countries probably not so much enamored of American celebri

        • by kackle ( 910159 )

          What I can't understand to this day is why the majority of the people in the USA voted for him. I used to think the average American was a reasonable person.

          If you're really curious, and I'm not taking sides here, I think it's that people are upset that their government is not focused on Americans, versus non-Americans and other ideologies. People can be upset about Ukraine and the Middle East for example, but the actions they'd support might change when you told them that the government would take $X from their bank account next month, and every month after, or burden future generations with such endeavors, plus interest. And a lot of people don't want to

      • > WHY THE FUCK DID YOU THINK THAT!?

        Because Musk is very obviously not stupid, which made me think he had a plan.
  • Consistent with (Score:4, Insightful)

    by hdyoung ( 5182939 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @06:38PM (#65185891)
    Pretty much everything this administration is doing. Flashy, designed to be a good social media post and photo op for right-wing audiences, with a side-benefit of triggering the libs. But, about 90 percent of what the Trusk says will happen, doesn’t actually happen, most of the stuff that actually happens gets frozen by a judge after 48 hours, and if you take a critical look at the remaining stuff, it’s all extremely underwhelming.

    Oh no, Trusk turned off 5% of the EV chargers in the US. He’ll probably turn them right back on again as soon social media attention turns to something else (aka in about 12 hours). And selling off the government EVs is most definitely NOT gonna happen. That’s real hardware. The government paid good money for them and they were purchased with an expected 25 year operational life.

    When you hear any announcement from the current admin, you should mentally picture a sweaty, oiled-up professional wrestler, in full spandex, shouting it to a screaming crowd from the middle of a ring. This is not serious governance. This is performance/entertainment.
    • by ukoda ( 537183 )
      The reason he is attacking the justice system is to stop "most of the stuff that actually happens gets frozen by a judge after 48 hours". It pisses him off that is not the King of the USA yet and he busy trying to change that.
  • ... the stations will be taken out of service ...

    The government is buying bullet-proof Teslas to protect the GOP plutocracy and removing the infrastructure those vehicles need to operate.

    Most things are vulnerable to fire. This is a gift-horse for the angry mob. Now, the USA just needs an angry mob.

  • Will the GSA offer a good deal on (slightly) used EV's to eliminate their inventory?
  • by felixrising ( 1135205 ) on Friday February 21, 2025 @09:08PM (#65186151)
    The story is also glossing over the fact that many of these buildings have solar now, directing that solar into EV charging when the government fleet is parked at work is a very good use of that energy that otherwise is going into the grid driving grid prices negative and making life hard for the coal and nuclear power plants. Cost of installation is a large part of the setup cost, actual hardware is a much smaller component. So shutting down the already purchased hardware and removal is going to cost a lot more that it saves.
    • by ukoda ( 537183 )
      Don't worry, the next trump mandate will be to remove those solar panels as they are hurting the hard working coal miners.
    • Except that most government fleet vehicles aren’t used for commuting to work, but rather in the course of their jobs. Examples are law enforcement, postal delivery, etc - while the vehicles may spend part of the workday in the fleet parking lot, much of the time they will be out in the community.

      I don’t know offhand how many EV’s the government actually has in operation; for example, under Biden the Post Office was in the process of replacing their fleet of vehicles, many of which were g

  • It's a pretty obvious hat-tip to the anti-environment conservative nazi party fans.

    In two years when FOX News has forgotten about it, they'll bring the EVs back as an example of Trump showing leadership in bringing new jobs for the green energy sector and claim it as a win for Trump improving the economy.

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