Understanding the Clean Miles Standard Regulation for Ridehailing Companies

The Clean Miles Standard (CMS) is a California regulation requiring transportation network companies (TNCs) and autonomous vehicle (AV) providers with over 5 million annual vehicle miles traveled to transition to zero-emissions vehicles. By 2030, the regulation mandates that emissions from passenger miles traveled must be zero and 90 percent of all vehicle miles traveled must be powered by electric vehicles. To support this transition, the regulation establishes the Drivers Assistance Program (DAP) to provide financial and educational support to low- and moderate-income drivers, ensuring they are not disproportionately burdened by the shift. Compliance is monitored by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC), with mechanisms for over-compliance and optional credits for infrastructure investment or public transit integration.

• The Clean Miles Standard (CMS) sets two primary targets for ridehailing service providers in California to be achieved by 2030: emissions from passenger miles traveled (PMT) must reach 0, and 90 percent of all vehicle miles traveled (VMT) must be powered by electric vehicles (EVs).
• Compliance is mandatory for transportation network companies (TNCs) and autonomous vehicle (AV) providers that offer passenger ridehailing services and exceed 5 million VMTs per year, while those below this threshold are exempt.
• To protect low- and moderate-income (LMI) drivers, the regulation requires the creation of the Drivers Assistance Program (DAP) and mandates that LMI drivers spend no more than 15 percent of their annual income on EV-related costs (leasing, renting, or buying).
• The regulation includes safeguards for LMI drivers facing account deactivation or ride deprioritization due to the use of gas-powered vehicles, including a 120-day notice period that is paused while the driver participates in the DAP.
• Regulated entities can earn over-compliance credits if their annual gCO2/PMT is lower than required, which can be used for up to three years, or optional credits through investments in sidewalk/bikeway infrastructure or by facilitating connections to mass/public transit.

APA

RMI (2023). Understanding the Clean Miles Standard Regulation for Ridehailing Companies. https://rmi.org/resources/understanding-the-clean-miles-standard-regulation-for-ride-hailing-companies/

Chicago

RMI. Understanding the Clean Miles Standard Regulation for Ridehailing Companies. 2023. https://rmi.org/resources/understanding-the-clean-miles-standard-regulation-for-ride-hailing-companies/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=Understanding the Clean Miles Standard Regulation for Ridehailing Companies |date=28 June 2023 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/understanding-the-clean-miles-standard-regulation-for-ride-hailing-companies/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2023understanding, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{Understanding the Clean Miles Standard Regulation for Ridehailing Companies}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2023}, month = jun, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/understanding-the-clean-miles-standard-regulation-for-ride-hailing-companies/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }