This New York City mandate could affect an estimated 100,000 for-hire vehicles.
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New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced that Uber and Lyft will be required to have only zero-emission vehicles by 2030, according to a report by Verge. Adams made the announcement during his recent State of the City speech.
As part of the Adams administration’s Under the Working People’s agenda, the city will mandate that all rideshare vehicles operated by Uber and Lyft be switched to zero-emission vehicles by 2030. This could affect an estimated 100,000 for-hire vehicles.
This new requirement will help build on efforts to electrify the city vehicle fleet, according to the speech. Adams also added that there will be no new costs for individual Uber and Lyft drivers. Mayor Adams will likely implement this plan through the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission, according to the Verge report.
“We are excited to partner with New York City on our journey,” Paul Augustine, Lyft’s director of sustainability, told The Verge. “New York’s commitment will accelerate an equitable city-wide transition to electric, and we’re eager to collaborate with the TLC on an ambitious plan for a rideshare clean mile standard.”
“We applaud the mayor’s ambition for reducing emissions, an important goal that we share,” Josh Gold, Uber’s senior director of policy, told The Verge. “Uber has been making real progress to become the first zero-emissions mobility platform in North America, and there’s much more to do.”
Both Uber and Lyft plan to only allow zero-emissions vehicles on their ridesharing apps by 2030. To help incentivize their drivers to switch to electric vehicles, both Lyft and Uber are authorizing higher fares for drivers who use EVs and are looking at partnerships with rental car companies like Hertz, according to the report.
Additionally, Uber recently announced that it’s working with unnamed automakers to design electric vehicles, which will be customized for its ridesharing and delivery services, according to a Wall Street Journal report.
Josh Green, CEO of Inspiration Mobility, offers tips to ridesharing companies trying to electrify their vehicle fleets. He recommends starting early since it can take time to fully electrify a fleet. Additionally, he suggests taking advantage of the price war. Tesla has dropped prices and Ford has announced decreasing its pricing. According to Green, Tesla’s cuts could result in a 38% increase in total annual savings for a ridesharing fleet.
New York isn’t the first state to set up this type of mandate. As of 2021, California adopted new rules that require its ridesharing companies to electrify their fleets by 2030.