The federal government will award $1.7 billion in grants to help convert 11 shuttered or at-risk factories to enable electric vehicle production, the Energy Department announced Thursday. 

The Details: The grants draw on funding from the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Out of the total, $1.1 billion will go to General Motors (GM) and Stellantis. While the factories are spread throughout eight states — including Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, and Virginia — $650 million of the funds, over a third, will go to just two plants in Michigan. The Biden administration said the grants would help companies create 2,900 new jobs and retain 15,000 current jobs. 

Related: Used car prices have fallen recently, with EVs leading the way. This could reflect lower demand for EVs, but it also makes them more affordable than similar gas-powered cars for the first time. 

How the Media Covered It: While most coverage was generally similar, some headlines echoed partisan attitudes about EVs. For instance, The Washington Times (Lean Right bias) headline “Biden doles out billions of taxpayer dollars to help unionized auto plants make EVs” uses the words “doles” to suggest wasteful government spending and highlights the role of unions, which many conservatives oppose. On the other hand, The Washington Post (Lean Left bias) noted that the Biden administration “faces criticism for not moving faster on green lending.”