New York City’s Public E-Bike Charging Pilot was launched in February 2024 as a six-month test of public battery charging for delivery workers. The project is part of the city’s broader “Charge Safe, Ride Safe: New York City’s Electric Micromobility Action Plan,” which aims to reduce the risk of lithium-ion battery fires while supporting the growing use of e-bikes in food and package delivery.
The pilot was announced by Mayor Eric Adams, DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez, and NYC Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) President and CEO Andrew Kimball, with Newlab involved in the implementation. It is being rolled out in five outdoor charging locations, beginning with Cooper Square in Manhattan’s East Village. Other sites include locations at Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park and Essex Market in the Lower East Side. The initial phase is limited to 100 delivery workers, who can use the charging hubs free of charge.
The methodology is practical and tightly monitored: selected workers are enrolled, use the charging equipment over the six-month period, and provide continuous feedback on the technology and the charging experience. NYCDOT and NYCEDC are using the pilot to evaluate whether public charging can make battery storage and charging safer than the current practice of bringing batteries into homes or apartments.
The pilot reflects several policy goals at once: improving delivery-worker safety, addressing fire hazards linked to lithium-ion batteries, and testing whether public infrastructure can support cleaner last-mile delivery. Up to now, the city has presented the pilot as an early-stage program rather than a permanent service, with results intended to inform future deployment.