New e-bike battery swapping and charging cabinets will soon appear across the five boroughs.
The city’s Department of Transportation announced Tuesday it will begin installing the cabinets within the next two years.
The new equipment is part of the city’s effort to reduce fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, which have been linked to hundreds of blazes, injuring more than 400 people and killing 30 New Yorkers since 2022, officials said.
The cabinets will offer a safer alternative to at-home charging, particularly for delivery workers who rely on e-bikes powered by these batteries.
The cabinets, which will be accessible through a paid membership, will be installed at 25 locations with the highest volume of delivery activity, including areas of Manhattan, Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg, Long Island City and the South Bronx.
“By expanding access to safe charging infrastructure in neighborhoods where delivery workers rely on e-bikes the most, the city is taking a critical next step to prevent future tragedies and keep New Yorkers safe,” FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker said in a statement.
Each cabinet will include certified batteries that are regularly inspected and monitored. They’ll also have fire suppression systems, real-time battery health tracking and automatic alerts for any malfunctions.
In a statement Tuesday, the DOT said it plans to keep the program affordable.
The department said it will gather public feedback on site selection, design and implementation before installations begin.
