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In short: On October 12, 2026, TLC's list of active for-hire vehicles coded 13,684 cars as battery electric, about 13% of the 104,845 FHVs. That is up from 1,125 in March 2023. Almost all the growth came in late 2023 and early 2024, when TLC issued EV-only licenses; since the window closed, the count has grown slowly through conversions (959 in the year to January 2026). The Tesla Model Y is by far the most common EV. There are no electric wheelchair accessible vehicles, and almost no electric yellow taxis.
The numbers at a glance
EV count over time
TLC reports the FHV EV count in its license reviews. The October 2026 point is TLC's own vehicle code on the live FHV list:
What drove the curve:
- 2023–early 2024: the EV license rush. TLC opened EV-only licenses to anyone on October 19, 2023; a court order closed applications on November 13, 2023, after "thousands" were filed. Of 12,564 new FHV licenses issued from February 2023 to January 2024, 62% were EVs. See EV-only licenses.
- 2024: the backlog. Another 1,763 EV-only applications were processed, finishing by April 2024.
- 2025–2026: conversions only. No new EV-only licenses were issued between February 2025 and January 2026. The count still rose by about 700 (12,415 to 13,115). TLC attributes the change to "a combination of conversions from internal-combustion vehicles (there were 959 in the past year) and about 633 EV licenses falling out of active status". TLC doesn't break the numbers down further.
Which EVs drivers use
The Tesla Model Y (6,157) is 45% of all electric TLC vehicles. Two other models pass 1,000: the Fisker Ocean (2,731) and Toyota bZ4X (1,159), plus the Tesla Model 3 (1,066). TLC's February 2026 review lists the 2023 Model Y as one of the two most common make-models in the whole FHV fleet. For all models, see the TLC fleet by make and model.
EVs vs hybrids vs gas
FHVs are 13.1% electric, 30% hybrid and 55.8% gas by VIN decode. Taxis are the reverse picture: 71.8% hybrid and only 0.3% electric (26 cars). Taxis have different rules: under a 2024 TLC rule, every taxi hack-up must be a wheelchair accessible vehicle (2025 Annual Report), and no accessible EV is on the market yet.
TLC's own "veh" code on the FHV list tells a similar EV story but leaves most cars blank:
No electric WAVs
TLC's February 2026 review: "As no accessible electric vehicle is currently available on the U.S. market, there are no electric WAVs in the TLC-licensed fleet." This matters because new FHV licenses are only available for WAVs. The fleet's EVs and its 9,348 WAV-flagged FHVs are two separate groups, and only existing license holders can add EVs.
Trips and charging, briefly
- Trips. EV trips have averaged more than 2 million a month since March 2024, with a record 2.87 million in October 2025 (2025 Annual Report). The EV share of app trips rose from about 2% to more than 11% after the EV licenses were issued (Electrification in Motion, 2024). See Green Rides progress.
- Chargers. TLC counted 3,526 Level 2 and 370 fast chargers citywide at the end of February 2026, with 235 Level 2 and 117 fast added in a year. See EV charging statistics and the practical charging guide.
What the data can and can't tell you
It can tell you how many licensed vehicles are electric today, which models, and how the count changed at each TLC review.
It can't tell you:
- How many EVs work each day. Licensed is not the same as active; see how many Ubers and taxis are on the road each day.
- Who owns them. Owner-drivers and rental fleets look the same in the list.
- Exact history by month. TLC publishes counts at review dates; the Factbook dashboard has more, but it can't be downloaded.
- Reliability or costs by model. For costs, see EV or hybrid for Uber.
For accessible vehicles, see WAV statistics and WAV trip requests on Uber and Lyft. For where trips happen, see rideshare trips by borough and NYC taxi and Uber trip statistics. For the whole fleet, see TLC licensed vehicle statistics. Want to switch? Read can I switch my TLC car to an EV?.
Frequently asked questions
How many electric Uber and Lyft cars are in NYC?
TLC's active FHV list coded 13,684 vehicles as battery electric on October 12, 2026. Decoding every VIN gives a similar 13,688 FHVs, about 13.1% of the FHV fleet. TLC's February 2026 review counted 13,115.
Are there electric yellow taxis?
Very few. Decoding the VINs of 10,236 authorized medallion taxis finds 26 battery-electric ones (0.3%), including 14 Tesla Model 3s. Taxis are mostly hybrids (71.8%).
Why is the number of EVs growing so slowly now?
New EV-only licenses closed in November 2023. Since then, growth comes only from license holders converting a gas or hybrid car to an EV: 959 conversions between February 2025 and January 2026, while about 633 EV licenses fell out of active status (TLC February 2026 review).
Are there electric wheelchair accessible vehicles?
No. TLC's February 2026 review says no accessible electric vehicle is available on the U.S. market, so there are no electric WAVs in the TLC fleet.
What is the most common electric TLC car?
The Tesla Model Y, with 6,157 vehicles. Next are the Fisker Ocean (2,731), Toyota bZ4X (1,159), Tesla Model 3 (1,066) and Cadillac Lyriq (548), from decoded VINs on October 12, 2026.
Sources
Last reviewed against the official sources on .
- TLC: February 2026 For-Hire Vehicle License Review nyc.gov
- TLC: February 2025 For-Hire Vehicle License Review nyc.gov
- TLC: February 2024 For-Hire Vehicle License Review nyc.gov
- TLC: February 2023 For-Hire Vehicle License Review (updated with Sept 2023 count) nyc.gov
- TLC 2025 Annual Report nyc.gov
- TLC: Electrification in Motion (Sept 2024) nyc.gov
- NYC Open Data: For Hire Vehicles (FHV) - Active (8wbx-tsch) data.cityofnewyork.us
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TLC Help is not a law firm and is not affiliated with the NYC Taxi & Limousine Commission or OATH. Explanations on this site are general information, not legal advice. Legal representation is provided by independent attorneys and OATH-registered representatives in our network.