Photo by Hafsa
New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) have announced their commitment to transitioning 100% of New York City’s rideshare fleet to EVs or wheelchair accessible vehicles by 2030.
NYC Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Do told Zag Daily: “We do not expect this to happen overnight, but with affordable new EV models becoming available almost every week and the tragic results of climate change apparent every day, the time to move forward with zero-emission vehicles is now.”
The Green Rides Initiative will begin in 2024 when the city mandates that 5% of all high-capacity for-hire journeys, including services such as Uber and Lyft, be allocated to electric vehicles or wheelchair-accessible vehicles. This threshold will elevate to 15% in 2025 and 25% in 2026. It will then increase by 20% annually until reaching 100% by the year 2030.
One of the major goals for TLC’s Green Rides Initiative is a more rapid adoption of EV technology and charging infrastructure. At present, there are around 200 fast charging spots and 1,000 regular charging spots in New York City.
According to TLC estimates, TLC-licensed vehicles account for 4% of the city’s transportation emissions. A shift to EVs is part of the city’s response to air quality concerns. Inhalation of fine particulate matter emitted from internal combustion engines has been associated with a range of health concerns, potentially resulting in hospitalisation and premature death.
The initiative comes as part of a larger trend in the state of New York. Currently, EVs represent about 5.6% of new vehicle sales in the United States, but only 1.5% in the state of New York. New York State will require all new passenger cars, pickup trucks, and SUVs sold in the state to be zero emission vehicles by 2035. The move is meant to ensure a robust new and used market for EVs in New York.
