I’m happy to share our recent research on ride-hailing and greenhouse gas (GHG) trends in Toronto:
Bazzo, J. P., Saleh, M., Hatzopoulou, M. (2025). Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trends and Fleet Renewal of Ride-Hailing in Toronto, Canada. Journal of Cleaner Production. [link][Download]
While the literature on ride-hailing decarbonization has been expanding, few studies have examined how emissions and fleet characteristics have evolved over time. In this study, we analyzed GHG emissions from January 2020 to December 2023, based on 179 million trips across Toronto.
We also investigated the shift toward cleaner vehicles by examining the current ride-hailing fleet and the operational patterns of drivers. Our Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) analysis revealed that electric vehicles (EVs) are more cost-competitive than hybrids and gasoline cars, especially for drivers with higher mileage and longer commitment periods—up to 46% lower ownership costs in some cases.
This work offers a longitudinal perspective on ride-hailing impacts and highlights key opportunities for targeted EV incentives and policy design.