NYC to Require Uber, Lyft Vehicles to Be Zero-Emissions by 2030

New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced in his State of the City address on Thursday that for-hire vehicles, including Uber and Lyft vehicles, need to reach zero emissions by 2030. The move is meant to match the city’s target of electrifying its vehicle fleet.

According to the address, there are over 100,000 for-hire vehicles. With the new requirements, companies like Uber and Lyft will support the zero-emissions goal and ensure there will be no new costs for individual drivers to transition to electric vehicles.

“We’re also electrifying our city vehicle fleet. And we are going to go even further, requiring for-hire vehicles to do the same,” Adams said in his address. “Today, we are announcing that Uber and Lyft will be required to have a zero-emissions fleet by 2030. That’s zero emissions for over 100,000 vehicles on our city streets. And it will be achieved with no new costs for individual drivers. We’re pleased that both companies are embracing this shift, and we look forward to working with them to get it done.”

Additionally, Adams added that the city is encouraging New York City residents who drive to switch to electric vehicles, and the administration will be installing charging stations throughout the five boroughs to help people make the transition.

Currently, the city has not shared more information on how for-hire vehicles will switch to zero-emissions without addings costs for the drivers, The Guardian reported. 

As of September, only about 1% of for-hire vehicles in the city were electric, Bloomberg reported, and there will need to be efficient plans and actions to bridge the gap and meet the newly announced zero-emissions target. Additionally, lines at charging stations and wait times for vehicle charging have been issues for many ride-share drivers, because they are not making money while charging and have found a lack of evenly distributed chargers in the city.

Both Uber and Lyft have previously set goals for zero-emissions vehicles by 2030, providing incentives like the ability to charge higher rates for drivers with EVs or partnerships with vehicle rental companies.

New York City is not the first place to enact such requirements. In 2021, California announced a requirement for ride-share companies to reach zero-emissions and have 90% of their vehicle miles to be entirely electric by 2030. 

Uber and Lyft have shared statements of support for the New York City regulation, as well as the previous requirements passed by California.