Green Rides Initiative: EV and WAV Targets to 2030

In short: The Green Rides Initiative is a TLC rule, §59D-13(c), that requires each high-volume for-hire service, today Uber and Lyft, to send a growing share of its trips to zero-emission vehicles (EVs) or wheelchair accessible vehicles (WAVs): 25% in 2026, 40% in 2027, and 100% in 2030. It does not require you, the driver, to buy an electric car. The companies pay the fine if they fall short: $50 for every 1,000 trips below the target.

The rule took effect on November 29, 2023 (NYC Rules). This guide explains how the share is counted, where the companies stand, and what it can mean for your choice of car.

The yearly targets

The targets are written into chapter 59. They apply to each high-volume company separately. TLC's February 2026 review notes that "the two companies currently licensed by TLC as HVs are Lyft and Uber". Other bases (black car, livery, luxury limousine) are not covered by this rule.

How the share is counted

Rule 59D-13(c)(2) gives the formula:

(trips dispatched to, and completed by, a zero-emission vehicle or an accessible vehicle during the calendar year) ÷ (all trips the company dispatched in that calendar year)

Three details matter:

• Which cars count. TLC's definitions chapter says a zero-emission vehicle "produces no direct exhaust or tailpipe emissions" and includes battery electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (chapter 51). A regular hybrid or a plug-in hybrid has a tailpipe, so it does not count. A WAV counts whatever fuel it uses.
• Completed trips only on top. A trip dispatched to an EV that the driver never completes does not help the company. All dispatched trips count in the bottom number.
• Calendar year. The share is measured across the whole year, so a company can be behind in some months and catch up in others.

The rule also says it does not change the separate wheelchair-accessible service requirements in rule 59B-17 (59D-13(c)(3)).

Why TLC made the rule

TLC's reports give these reasons:

• Cleaner trips. After its December 2022 Charged Up! report, the Mayor and TLC announced that all trips dispatched by the high-volume companies would be made by electric or wheelchair accessible vehicles by 2030, with benchmarks starting in 2024 (February 2023 review).
• Charging investment. TLC says it "does not directly build charging infrastructure", but the rule "is designed to incentivize the growth of charging infrastructure by providing developers with a reliable source of demand" (February 2026 review, p.4). In plain words: if the apps must fill more trips with EVs, charging companies can count on drivers using their chargers.
• Accessibility counts too. The rule lets WAV trips count alongside EV trips (59D-13(c)(1)), and it keeps the separate WAV dispatch rules for bases in place (59D-13(c)(3)).

At the public hearing on September 20, 2023, drivers, environmental groups, an economist and the companies urged TLC to issue more EV-only licenses to make the targets reachable, TLC's February 2023 review records. That is the background to the October 2023 EV license window that a court then closed.

The rule also links to the license cap. Each year, when TLC decides whether to issue new FHV licenses, it must consider "availability and demand for battery electric vehicles" and charging (59A-06(a)(1)). Green Rides progress feeds into that review.

The penalty

The fine is charged to the company, not to drivers. Nothing in 59D-13(c) penalizes an individual driver for driving a gas car.

Where Uber and Lyft stand

TLC's reports give the progress so far:

Wheelchair accessible vehicles carry a real part of that share: in TLC trip records, between 8.6% and 10.4% of app trips each month from September 2025 to August 2026 were made in a WAV. For the full scorecard with charts, see Green Rides progress statistics.

No electric WAVs yet

There is a catch built into the rule. TLC's February 2026 review says: "As no accessible electric vehicle is currently available on the U.S. market, there are no electric WAVs in the TLC-licensed fleet." TLC's EV charging FAQ says the same.

So, for now, every Green Rides trip is either an EV trip in a non-accessible car or a WAV trip in a gas or hybrid car. New FHV licenses are open only for WAVs, while new EV-only licenses have been closed since November 2023 (see EV-only licenses). Growth in EV trips therefore depends on existing license holders switching their car to an EV.

What it means if you are choosing a car

• You are not required to switch. Pick the car that makes sense for your costs and your charging access. Our guide to EV or hybrid for Uber in NYC uses TLC's own cost comparison.
• Expect incentives to come and go. TLC's review says the companies have "broadcast mixed messages" about their EV plans. For example, in December 2025 Uber dropped its monthly EV incentives and announced $4,000 for the first 2,500 drivers who switched to an EV. Get any offer in writing and check its end date.
• Hybrids help you on fuel, not on Green Rides. A hybrid may save gas, but its trips do not count toward the companies' target. If an app offers an EV-only incentive, a hybrid will not qualify for it; read the terms.
• WAV owners matter to the companies too. WAV trips count toward the target. If you drive a WAV, ask your app how it treats WAV trips.
• Check charging first. TLC counted 3,526 Level 2 and 370 fast chargers in the city at the end of February 2026. Where they are matters more than the total. See EV charging for TLC drivers and EV charging statistics.

This page explains a TLC rule. It is not legal or financial advice. For the short definition, see the Green Rides glossary entry.