New York City has announced that it will now require EV rideshare fleets by 2030 the world’s first large city to do so.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) commissioner David Do today announced the newly proposed rules for “Green Rides,” which requires the transition of New York City’s rideshare fleet to EVs or wheelchair accessible vehicles by 2030.
Existing federal and state incentives are expected to encourage EV purchases and drive the market toward price parity between EVs and ICE vehicles by 2027. Additionally, state regulations dictate that all new passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs sold in the state to be zero-emission by 2035. There’s a proven demand for TLC vehicle licenses, so financial and legal requirements will shift rideshare drivers to driving EVs.
Here’s the rollout plan for the Green Rides Initiative: Starting in 2024, New York will require 5% of all high-volume for-hire trips, including those with Uber and Lyft, to be dispatched to EVs or wheelchair accessible vehicles. That benchmark will rise to 15% in 2025 and 25% in 2026. The requirements will increase yearly by 20 percentage points until the end of the decade, reaching 100% in 2030.
Uber and Lyft, which together make up 78,000 rideshare vehicles in New York City, have also committed to transitioning to EVs by 2030.
Josh Gold, senior director for public policy and communications at Uber, said, “While there’s much more to do to make this a reality, we look forward to working with the TLC to achieve zero-emissions in New York City in a way that benefits drivers, riders, and the city.”
New York City currently has around 200 DC fast chargers and 1,000 Level 2 EV chargers that are available to the public. The New York City Department of Transportation and private firms plan to rapidly expand New York’s charging infrastructure to meet the demands of the larger electric fleet.
Overall, New York’s goal is to cut transportation emissions in half by 2030. According to a TLC study, the agency’s licensed vehicles currently contribute to approximately 4% of the city’s vehicle emissions.
Brooklyn borough president Antonio Reynoso said, “Electrifying the vehicles crisscrossing New York is essential to the sustainable city we need to build. Thank you to the TLC for setting a new standard with the Green Rides initiative.”