Taxi Advocate Urges City to Let TLC Drivers Return to Hybrids Amid EV Charger Shortage
- nysftd2024
- Oct 17
- 2 min read
Updated: Oct 20
New York City’s push to electrify its for-hire vehicle fleet is outpacing the infrastructure needed to keep it running — and drivers are paying the price.
According to the New York State Federation of Taxi Drivers, the city simply doesn’t have enough working fast-charging stations to support the growing number of TLC livery vehicles now required to operate as electric.
“Drivers are stranded — the city moved too fast”
Federation Chairman Fernando Mateo says the policy, while well-intentioned, has left thousands of professional drivers sitting in hours-long charging lines or forced to travel miles just to find an available plug.
“New York will remain dirty and full of emissions until we build the infrastructure,” Mateo said. “We all agree electric is the future — but you can’t force people to go electric when there’s nowhere to charge.”
Mateo and other advocates are urging city officials to temporarily allow drivers to return to hybrid vehicles until adequate charging access exists in every borough.
The gap between policy and reality
Under the Green Rides Initiative, the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) set annual benchmarks for electrifying the city’s rideshare fleet. But in practice, drivers say the shortage of chargers—especially in the Bronx, Queens, and outer neighborhoods—makes meeting those mandates nearly impossible.
Many charging locations are concentrated in wealthier parts of Manhattan, far from where most drivers live or operate. The lack of infrastructure also means drivers lose work hours waiting for power instead of picking up passengers.
A call for balance
Mateo insists the solution isn’t abandoning the city’s green goals — it’s making them realistic. “We can’t fix emissions overnight,” he said. “If the city truly wants a cleaner, electric future, it needs to invest in hundreds of new chargers first, then expect drivers to make the switch.”
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