October was electric for the TLC (I swear this is the last time I’ll use that pun). On the heels of the Commission unanimously passing the Green Rides Initiative on October 18, Mayor Adams and I announced that TLC had lifted the licensing pause for electric for-hire vehicles. Like wheelchair accessible vehicles, EV licenses are now available for the foreseeable future.
This will empower drivers who want to get out of burdening leases and extra costs. That extra $300-to-$400 a month can go back into drivers’ pockets.
Some have predicted that this will create a flood of new vehicles on our roads, exacerbating congestion. I don’t believe that to be the case. We saw no such flood when the same exemption existed back in 2021, and given the city’s limited charging infrastructure, most TLC drivers will wait. Back in March, when we released 1,000 EV licenses, we saw tremendous interest, but a lot of folks balked when it came to actually getting their EV. Presumably, they liked having the option – especially since there were scarcity conditions for licenses – but upon looking closer, many decided it wasn’t yet time. That is entirely sensible.
When will the time be right for you? If you can charge overnight, or have good access to a DC fast charger, maybe now. If charging is too challenging, maybe next year when a convenient hub opens up near you. The Green Rides initiative is a steady slide over six years so that the industry can develop in synch with the charging infrastructure. I’m not interested in jumping our industry off a cliff for a shortcut to a greener pasture. We know how that landing goes.
There are also the costs of EVs, which are falling rapidly. If that $42,000 EV you’re eyeing will be replaced by a $25,000 model in two years with a longer range… make the call that works for you. As more EVs hit the road, expect parts, maintenance, and used vehicle costs to drop. And if at the end of the day you decide an EV is not for you, buying a WAV is baked into the Green Rides cake.
Are there uncertainties? You bet. Any attempt at positive change comes with unknowns, but we don’t see the EV apocalypse that some are forecasting happening. What we do see is a fast-charging industry developing rapidly, bringing with it a cleaner, healthier, and more accessible city – and TLC drivers saving money. The mayor and I also see a lot of new, green jobs coming with it. Other big cities will be eating our exhaust, but by then there will be a lot less of it.
See you out there,
David Do
