Los Angles Considering Electric Vehicle Requirement for Ride-Hailing Vehicles

"Los Angeles is considering forcing rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft to use electric vehicles in what would be a first for any city as LA seeks to cut emissions and get more electric vehicles on the streets," reports Leslie Hook.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti told the Financial Times about the potential pollution cutting measure, but the idea is still highly speculative.

If the city is successful in regulating ride-hailing companies to this new degree, the consequences would be massive for the fledgling industry. "Any policy to require electric vehicles would radically alter the economics of the rideshare business, in which the drivers own or rent their own vehicles, because electric vehicles are typically more expensive than their petrol-burning counterparts," explains Hook.