New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced a proposal on Thursday to make Uber and Lyft go all-electric by 2030, which could affect up to 100,000 ride-hailed vehicles, according to The Verge.
Senior director of policy at Uber Josh Gold added that the goal was shared by Uber, even lauding New York for the proposal.
“We applaud the Mayor’s ambition for reducing emissions, an important goal we share,” Gold said. “Uber has been making real progress to become the first zero-emissions mobility platform in North America, and there’s much more to do.”
Lyft’s director of sustainability Paul Augustine shared similar sentiments, adding that it would help aid the city’s electrification plans.
“We are excited to partner with New York City on our journey,” Augustine said. “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.”
Adams said in his speech last night, “And we are going to go even further, requiring for-hire vehicles to do the same. 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. We’re also encouraging New Yorkers who drive to make the switch to electric vehicles as well, adding charging stations in all five boroughs,” continued Adams.
You can watch his second state of the city address below:
The news comes just four months after the state of New York followed suit with California in banning new gas car sales by 2035, ahead of a similar move by Oregon, and other states like Massachusetts considering the mandate. It also comes after a few taxi services have started to go electric.
