DOT Commissioner Mike Flynn will launch on Friday an online portal through which anyone can provide feedback on the agency’s preliminary list of 50 possible locations for the cabinets, according to a news release shared with amNewYork ahead of the announcement. The portal will remain live through July 31, and DOT will review the public feedback and use it to whittle its list of potential sites down to 25.
The agency will then enter the design phase, aiming to bring the charging stations online in 2028.
“These e-bike battery swapping cabinets are about supporting workers, making our city safer, and embracing the kinds of transportation New Yorkers are already turning to in growing numbers,” Mamdani said in a statement. “I’m proud to help bring New Yorkers’ voices into this citywide rollout, and I’m eager to see how people shape it through the public portal.”
The charging apparatuses provide e-bike riders, many of whom are delivery workers, a safe way to recharge their batteries. However, the cabinets will be available for any New Yorker to use.
“E-bikes are an efficient, sustainable way to get around the city — and thousands of delivery workers rely on them every day,” Flynn said. “These battery swapping cabinets will make charging safer and more accessible on the job. We’re also inviting New Yorkers to weigh in through a new portal to help us place them where they’ll work best and have the biggest impact.”
NYC DOT’s proposed locations for e-bike battery swapping cabinets.Image Courtesy of DOT
The stations are meant to mitigate against lithium-ion battery fires, which have proliferated as the e-bike-mounted delivery workers have flooded city streets in recent years.
The stations will provide e-bike users with proper charging for batteries that meet FDNY standards. The measures are necessary, officials say, because many e-bike fires are caused by low-quality batteries being charged inside apartment buildings. Improper storage and limited education about safe use have also contributed to the hazards.
In order to ensure the charging stations meet the highest safety standards, Fire Commissioner Lillian Bonsignore said her agency is extending the filing deadline for the installation through September of this year.
“From a fire prevention standpoint, this additional time is critical: it allows more Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories to come online for UL 1487 certification and will ensure these cabinets meet the highest safety standards,” she said, referring to a certification standard for e-bike batteries. “This measured approach supports the safe expansion of charging infrastructure, reduces the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries, and works to protect both delivery workers and the public.”
They could also help delivery workers avoid hauling multiple batteries around to make it through a shift.
DOT’s 50 preliminary locations are spread throughout Manhattan, western Queens, northern Brooklyn, and the South Bronx.
The cabinets are part of DOT’s Public E-Bike Charging (PEC) program, funded by a state grant. They will be owned and managed by private contractors, the agency will pick through a request for proposals later this year.
DOT first piloted the charging cabinets for 6 months in 2024, finding them safe for use by delivery workers.
The portal comes after the city opened its first “Deliverista Hub” outside of City Hall earlier this month. The structure is equipped with two e-bike battery charging cabinets.
