NYC’s electric Uber, Lyft drivers should be able to switch to hybrids as city lacks enough EV chargers: taxi advocate

He wants to shift the balance of power.

The Big Apple’s roughly 13,000 electric Uber, Lyft and other for-hire vehicle drivers should be allowed to switch to hybrids because the city doesn’t have enough EV chargers, taxi advocate Fernandeo Mateo argued Thursday.

Mateo, who heads the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, contended the city’s green push to make all ride-hailing vehicles electric or handicap accessible by 2030 is putting a squeeze on the hacks.

“The right fix is allowing drivers to say, ‘I can’t deal with this electric vehicle. I’m going to trade it in and get a hybrid,’” he said.

“Or install all of these charging stations as if it were a state of emergency.”

The city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission in 2023 lifted a cap on the number of ride share vehicles criss-crossing the five boroughs, provided the cars were zero emission or wheelchair accessible.

Dubbed the Green Rides Initiative, the push also aimed to encourage private companies to build up the city charging infrastructure.

Mateo, however, maintains the infrastructure simply isn’t there.

He said electric drivers are running out of power waiting for chargers.

“New York is going to remain dirty, full of emissions and without any hopes of going all electric until we build the infrastructure,” he said.

“I would buy an electric car. But I’m not buying one if I don’t know where the hell I’m going to charge it. Or if I have to wait an hour or two hours or three in line to charge my vehicle.”

City officials said a third of electric vehicle drivers with TLC plates charge at home, and pointed to constellations of charging hubs at LaGuardia and JFK airports, the Bronx and elsewhere.

“We work closely with DOT, Con Edison, and the private sector to encourage charging hubs where our drivers live and work, and it’s working,” said TLC spokesman Jason Kersten.

“Since the launch of Green Rides, the number of fast chargers in the city has more than doubled, with many more on the way in all five boroughs.”