E-bike riders will soon be able to conveniently charge their wheels on NYC sidewalks, per a new city program announced on Monday designed to combat lithium-ion battery fires.
Officials at the NYC Department of Transportation (DOT) said building owners and tenants with landlord approval can apply to have e-bike battery swapping and charging cabinets installed on the sidewalks in front of their properties.
The new program, part of Mayor Eric Adams’ Charge Safe, Ride Safe initiative, is designed to reduce apartment fires by moving battery charging and storage out of apartments and into “safe, FDNY-approved cabinets” on sidewalks, the DOT said.
Approved cabinets will be a maximum of 8 feet, 5 inches high, 4 feet deep, and 4 feet wide. According to the DOT’s description, they must also leave an unobstructed clear path for pedestrian flow.
City transportation commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said the program is needed because e-bikes are becoming increasingly popular. He also said the DOT published a new guide called Sidewalk E-bike Battery Swapping and Charging Cabinets 101 that explains how to apply for a DOT charging cabinet and more details about the program.
“As more and more New Yorkers turn to e-bikes as a safe, affordable and convenient way to get around, we need to do our part to ensure charging is safe and accessible,” he said. “These rules help us continue the important work to expand access to safe e-bike charging options, and I encourage anyone who is interested to check out our new guide.”
Under the rules, an e-bike battery swapping and charging cabinet may be installed outdoors and adjacent to buildings with ground floor commercial and community facility uses (like a restaurant) and residential buildings with five or more dwelling units through a revocable consent, which, as the name implies, the city can revoke at any time.
DOT will review applications with the FDNY. The fire department will then conduct site inspections prior to cabinet installation. As part of the approval process, the cabinet models will require approval by FDNY’s Technology Management unit.
NYC’s Department of Buildings will be responsible for issuing electrical permits for cabinet installation, the DOT said.
According to an article in the Fire and Safety Journal Americas, data shows that 59% of lithium-ion battery fires in 2023 started when the batteries were not charging.
“Structural fires caused by lithium-ion batteries have seen a troubling rise this year, and increasing access to safe, FDNY-approved charging cabinets is a vital step in reversing this trend,” Fire Commissioner Robert Tucker said. “We know that New Yorkers rely on e-micromobility devices to live and work throughout the five boroughs and this proactive measure will help ensure that innovation and safety go hand in hand.”
DOT officials said battery swapping cabinets give riders the opportunity to rent a charged, Underwriters Laboratories-certified charger.
The cabinet program is not free. The application process for a battery cabinet starts with a $750 filing fee. If initially approved, other fees will follow, including a $3,000 security deposit.
