Mayor Adams says all Ubers, Lyfts must be emissions-free or wheelchair-accessible by 2030

All Uber and Lyft vehicles must be either electric or wheelchair accessible by 2030, Mayor Eric Adams announced on Wednesday.

“By championing the integration of zero-emission vehicles and wheelchair-accessible transportation, we are cutting dirty emissions and guaranteeing equitable transportation opportunities for every New Yorker,” Adams said in a statement.

The mandate — which must be approved by the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission — is part of an effort to reduce emissions and fine particulate matter in the air. Taxis and for-hire vehicles account for 4% of carbon emissions from vehicles in the city.

Uber and Lyft have already pledged to have an all-electric fleet by 2030. There were more than 77,000 cars operating for the apps across the five boroughs as of May, according to city data.

Last year, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered that all new passenger cars, pickup trucks and SUVs sold in New York state be zero-emission vehicles by 2035.

The city is hoping drivers will take advantage of state and federal tax breaks for purchasing electric vehicles. But that means drivers still have to pay the cost up front, which could be a burden.

“Drivers will have to buy new cars faster yet there is no new monies being announced,” wrote Bhairavi Desai, head of the New York Taxi Workers Alliance, in an emailed statement. “While the rule requires Uber and Lyft meet certain benchmarks, it’s the drivers who have to pay for the vehicles, and without financial programs to correspond with the rule, drivers alone will bear these costs.”

The rule change could open the door for more for-hire vehicles hitting the market. Currently, there is a cap on new for-hire vehicles, unless they’re wheelchair accessible. But the TLC is open to lifting or expanding that cap, according to public documents published by the agency.

“TLC will continue to evaluate the license moratorium and determine whether additional licenses are needed to spur electrification in the [for-hire vehicle] fleet,” the documents noted.

The TLC will hold a public hearing over Zoom at 10 a.m. on Sept. 20 to discuss the change.