All Uber and Lyft vehicles in New York City must be fully electric by 2030

New York City gets one step closer to its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In his second State of the City address, Mayor Eric Adams announced that by 2030, all of the city’s Uber and Lyft fleets must be 100 percent electric. This decision will impact 78,000 drivers. 

New York City has already begun implementing these changes. As many as 4,000 ride-sharing vehicles have already switched to zero emissions. In addition, Mayor Adams has also promised to add charging stations in all five boroughs. Both Uber and Lyft have welcomed the mayor’s announcement, as they previously shared their intentions to go fully electric by the end of the decade.   

"We are excited to partner with New York City on our journey," said Paul Augustine, head of sustainability at Lyft. "New York's commitment will accelerate an equitable citywide transition to electric, and we're eager to collaborate with the Taxi and Limousine Commission on an ambitious plan for a rideshare clean miles standard.”

“Uber has been making real progress to become the first zero-emissions mobility platform in North America, and there's much more to do,” said Josh Gold, Uber’s senior director of public policy. "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."

The transportation sector is the biggest producer of greenhouse gas emissions. It accounts for as much as 29 percent of the total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, the transportation sector does not just include cars. These gas emissions are also generated by airplanes, trains, buses, and large trucks. 

Although Mayor Adams has promised that the new goal of electrifying Uber and Lyft fleets “will be achieved with no new costs for individual drivers”, it remains unclear who will fund these changes: the city or the ride-hailing giants. Currently, only 1 percent of ride-sharing vehicles in New York City are electric, according to the TLC. In addition, most of the Uber and Lyft drivers live in Queens, yet this borough is home to just 16 percent of the city’s public electric charges. 

Resources:

“Mayor Adams Outlines "Working People's Agenda" for NYC in Second State of the City Address,” (NYC, 2023)

“What They Are Saying: New Yorkers (and Tony Hawk) Praise Mayor Adams' "Working People's Agenda," State of the City Address,” (NYC, 2023)

“NYC will require Uber and Lyft to go fully-electric by 2030,” by Aaron Ginsburg (6sqft, 2023)

“All Uber and Lyft cars in NYC will have to be fully electric by 2030,” by Anna Rahmanan (Time Out, 2023)

“State of the City | All Uber, Lyft cars in NYC must be electric by 2030, Adams says,” by Ben Brachfeld (amNY, 2023)

“Mayor Adams promised electric-only Ubers in NYC by 2030. Who’s paying?” by Jaclyn Jeffrey-Wilensky (Gothamist, 2023)

“Uber and Lyft Drivers in New York Struggle With City’s EV-Charging Divide,” by Jackie Davalos (Bloomberg, 2022)