ππ¨ As New Plates Open, TLC Proposes EV Acceleration Rules
TLC will propose new EV-specific acceleration limits for yellow cabs, during Commission meeting on Wednesday, December 21st
There is a lot going on in the NYC for-hire transportation industry right now. So much, that if youβre not paying close attention you might miss out on an upcoming TLC meeting and a new electric vehicle (EV) specific proposal. Given the recent announcement that 1,000 new EV-only TLC Plates would be issued to select drivers and companies, these new EV specific rules are even more important to note, although they only currently apply to the yellow cab π industry.
This upcoming Wednesday, December 21st at 10am the TLC will hold a public hearing (on Zoom) about:
Simplifying, updating and standardizing existing TLC rules to make rules easier to understand and reflect modern day realities
Click here to access the press releases for the Wednesday, December 21, 2022, NYC TLC Commission meeting.
π New EV Acceleration Rules For Yellow Cabs
While itβs important to note that the new EV-specific TLC rule proposals, technically only apply to the yellow taxi medallion industry, we would assume a similar set of rules would eventually apply to ALL TLC-licensed vehicles. Layer on the recent confirmation that 1,000 new EV-only FHV Licenses (a/k/a TLC Plates) will be available to select drivers and companies, these new EV-specific TLC rules are noteworthy.
Essentially, the TLC has rules that prevent yellow cabs from being TOO performance-oriented, as that may expose the general public and TLC drivers to an unsafe driving environment. For example, according to TLC Rule Section 67-05.1(f), vehicles that are approved as taxis cannot have a horsepower that exceeds 295!
However, during the TLC EV Pilot, the regulator concluded horsepower wasnβt the appropriate metric to use for EVs . As many know, a common selling point of EVs is their ability to accelerate very quickly vs. their gas-powered (ICE) counterparts. An electric motor provides instant power to a vehicle (βinstant torqueβ) and therefore it not uncommon for many EVs to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds.
Realizing this new dynamic, the TLC is proposing a new Acceleration Rate Standard whereby no vehicle, used in the yellow taxi medallion industry, βshall accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4.4 secondsβ. The logic being that any vehicle that can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than 4.4 seconds poses an βunacceptable risk of collisionβ.
NOTE, that these proposed rules ONLY APPLY TO NYC YELLOW CABS π, but we wouldnβt be surprised if a similar rule would be proposed for all TLC-licensed vehicles soon. While many EVs DO NOT break this proposed rule, there are noteworthy examples (see InsideEVs.com overview) that would be disqualified from being used as a NYC yellow cab based on the TLC Acceleration Rate Standard.