Governor Signs Senator Skinner’s Electrify California Ride-hailing (E-CAr) Bill

San Francisco, CA — Floating on San Francisco Bay and flanked by officials and world leaders attending the 2018 Global Climate Action Summit, Governor Brown signed Senator Nancy Skinner’s (D-Berkeley) E CAr legislation, SB 1014, into law.

E-Car—Electrify California Ride-hailing—will accelerate the uptake of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) deployed by ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft. For the first time, SB 1014 will require a segment of the transportation sector, specifically Transportation Network Companies (TNCs), to reduce carbon emissions and transition to ZEVs. The focus on TNCs is important due to the rapid growth of trips and vehicle miles travelled (VMT) attributed to ride-hailing services. TNCs are, for example, estimated to be responsible for roughly 570,000 vehicle miles travelled every weekday in San Francisco alone.

“By increasing EVs and other zero-emission vehicles, SB 1014 gets transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft on board with California’s ambitious climate protection and clean air goals.” said Senator Skinner.

Skinner’s legislation directs the California Air Resources Board and the California Public Utilities Commission to adopt and implement two targets: one to increase the deployment of zero-emission vehicles (ZEVs) by TNCs and one to reduce greenhouse gas emissions per passenger mile. These dual goals will put more EVs and other clean cars on our roads and incentivize a higher number of passengers per TNC vehicle trip, with the intent to reduce congestion, VMT, and tailpipe emissions. Skinner’s SB 1014 represents a key step the state will need to take to meet the Governor’s ambitious goal of making California’s entire economy carbon-neutral by 2045.

Skinner’s E-CAr legislation is only her most recent action on ZEVs. Last year, the Senator authored SB 498 to jumpstart ZEV adoption by the state’s vehicle fleets, mandating that 50 percent of state-owned light duty vehicles be ZEV by 2025.

“TNCs offer new convenience in getting us where we need to go, but they need to be better partners in helping our communities clean the air, protect the climate and reduce congestion,” said Skinner. “SB 1014 is a step in the right direction.”

Senator Nancy Skinner (@NancySkinnerCA) represents the 9th Senate District. She serves as Chair of the Senate Public Safety Committee and the Budget Subcommittee on Corrections, Public Safety and the Judiciary.
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