New Report Reveals Major Progress In The City’s Efforts To Electrify Its Rideshare Fleet

As the City Celebrates Climate Week, New Data From the Historic Green Rides Initiative Shows Clear Strides Towards a Cleaner, Safer, and More Accessible NYC

NEW YORK, NY – Nearly a year after becoming the nation’s first city to mandate that all rideshare vehicles be either zero-emission or wheelchair accessible by 2030, New York City’s Taxi and Limousine Commission released a report detailing major strides towards that goal, as well as improvements in reducing emissions, boosting charging infrastructure development, and amplifying accessibility.

Electrification in Motion: An Update on New York City’s Electric For-Hire Vehicle Fleet details the progress of TLC’s Green Rides Initiative, which is already about two years ahead of schedule. As of August 2024, 19 percent of rideshare trips were conducted in either an EV or wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV), a significant outperforming of this year’s 5 percent goal. So far through 2024, more than 14 million EV trips have saved a combined 19,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions, the equivalent of powering nearly 3,800 homes for a full year.  Green Rides has also been a boon for public and private charging infrastructure development. Since it launched in Oct. 2023, providers have announced plans to bring at least 180 fast-charging plugs online over the next two years.

"Our hardworking drivers are in the true vanguard, bringing New York into its electric future and by extension, the country," said Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi. "This Climate Week I want to thank every driver who has committed to go electric and accessible, putting our city ahead of its goals and reminding us what climate leadership looks like. "

“Since the Green Rides Initiative launched, we have worked day and night with our partners to pinpoint where charging infrastructure and development are most needed,” said New York City Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Do. “Our Charging Task Force brought together a host of industry stakeholders from both the public and private sectors, and we’re looking forward to more charging options for TLC drivers and all New Yorkers with EVs in the coming year.”

Since the TLC released Charged Up! – its previous electrification report – in Dec. 2022, the number of fast chargers in the City has risen from 169 to 236 as of June 2024, a 40 percent increase.

Additionally last month Mayor Adams announced that the City won a $15 million federal grant which will support an additional 600 Level 2 chargers along streets across the five boroughs, with many going to neighborhoods where TLC drivers live.

More intriguing new data from Electrification in Motion:

• Charger utilization has increased markedly across the city’s charging network. One charging provider saw an 800% increase in charging activity at their sites since September 2023.
• Driver pay is consistently higher for EVs than gas-powered FHVs.
• Most EV trips take place in Manhattan (38 percent), Brooklyn (26), and Queens (24).
• The average for-hire EV performed 24 more trips in June 2024 than in January 2023, while gas-powered vehicles performed three fewer trips on average.
• Of the almost 10,000 EV applications submitted after the announcement of the Green Rides Initiative, roughly nine in ten went to individual drivers.

“TLC is leading the way in reducing harmful emissions from vehicles, and the Green Rides Initiative will help the city achieve its goal of cutting citywide transportation emissions in half by 2030 and completely by 2050,” said Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice Executive Director Elijah Hutchinson. “This initiative is creating healthier air, especially for those with preexisting conditions like asthma, heart disease, and lung cancer.”

The Port Authority applauds TLC’s Green Rides Initiative and remains committed to supporting their efforts to reduce harmful emissions by electrifying the taxi and for-hire vehicle fleet,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “We are proud to further bolster TLC’s efforts by making more charging stations available near or at our facilities, and thank the TLC for its initiative."

“Con Edison is pleased to support the Taxi and Limousine Commission’s Green Rides Initiative,” said Britt Reichborn-Kjennerud, director of E-Mobility for Con Edison. “Through our PowerReady, SmartCharge New York and  SmartCharge Commercial programs, we can help make driving and owning an EV easier, more convenient and economical for TLC drivers and New Yorkers alike. This initiative will play an important role in encouraging the development of charging hubs and will benefit air quality as transportation is electrified.”  

“Our city’s Uber and Lyft drivers stepped up in a massive way, putting their own finances on the line to meet and surpass the city’s aggressive goals in the transition to electric vehicles. Creating a greener city and a brighter economic future takes each of us doing our part,” said Brendan Sexton, President of the Independent Drivers Guild, a Machinists Union affiliate and the nation’s largest rideshare driver organization. “We are committed to coordinating closely with the city to ensure drivers are supported with the charging stations and rest areas they need and that the Green Rides Initiative creates economic growth for the city’s 80,000 Uber and Lyft drivers and their families.”

Green Rides made New York City the first in the U.S. to commit to this kind of transition and is a key part of the administration’s “Working People’s Agenda.” The announcement on Oct. 18, 2023, led to the release of new EV licenses the next day.

Additionally, the Green Rides Initiative has made the TLC fleet more accessible than ever before. In March 2024, rideshare drivers completed the most WAV trips in the TLC’s history with 1.9 million – a 32% increase from March 2023, underscoring a commitment to both accessibility and sustainability.

Green Rides’ annual requirements were designed to ensure a smooth and efficient transition to a cleaner, more accessible fleet by 2030. The original goal of 5 percent in 2024 was set to rise to 15 percent in 2025, but that target was met in January almost two full years ahead of schedule. The remaining targets are 25 percent in 2026 and 40 percent in 2027, with annual 20 percentage point increases until the end of the decade.

More resources about EVs and charging can be found at nyc.gov/charging and at nyc.gov/greenrides and more information about the TLC fleet can be found at the Factbook page.

About the NYC TLC

Created in 1971, NYC TLC is the agency responsible for licensing and regulating New York City's medallion (yellow) taxi cabs, for-hire vehicles (community-based liveries, black cars, and luxury limousines), commuter vans, and paratransit vehicles, along with the businesses that operate them. It is recognized as the largest and most active taxi and for-hire vehicle regulatory body in the United States.

Over 200,000 TLC licensees complete approximately 1,000,000 trips each day. To operate for hire, drivers must first undergo a background check, have a safe driving record, and complete 24 hours of driver training. TLC-licensed vehicles are inspected for safety and emissions at TLC's Woodside Inspection Facility.

To find out more about the TLC, or to review its rules, regulations, and procedures, we encourage you to visit our official Web site at www.nyc.gov/taxi or contact 311/311 Online.

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