In a megadeal spending spree like no other in U.S. history, states and localities have awarded more than $13.8 billion in economic development subsidies to at least 51 electric vehicle (EV) and EV battery factories, mostly in recent years.
That conservative tabulation omits at least 53 more projects for which subsidies have not yet been disclosed. And the costs of many of the 51 known deals are only partially known. Billions have gone to unproven companies, and six states have set all-time cost records for individual economic development projects.