On February 29, 2024, New York City Mayor Eric Adams announced the launch of the city’s first pilot program for outdoor lithium-ion battery charging stations. The initial pilot has been implemented in Cooper Square, Manhattan, with the goal of preventing residential lithium-ion battery fires.
The program is targeted toward the city’s delivery worker population. Only participating delivery workers will have the opportunity to take part in the free six-month pilot. The first group consists of 100 delivery workers who will test the safety of battery charging and public charging stations.
New York City has become the first municipality to pilot public electric bicycle (e-bike) charging stations. This initiative is part of the city’s “Charge Safe, Ride Safe: New York City’s Electric Micromobility Action Plan.” The program aims to address the growing number of lithium-ion e-bike battery safety incidents and fires that have occurred in recent years.
The launch of this pilot program is a proactive step by the city to address the growing safety concerns around lithium-ion batteries, particularly in high-density residential areas where many delivery workers reside. By providing accessible and supervised charging stations, the city aims to reduce the risk of fires and accidents associated with improper battery charging and storage.
This pilot is the first of five planned programs that will be rolled out across New York City in the coming months. The city hopes to gather valuable insights from this initial trial to inform the expansion and refinement of the outdoor charging station initiative.
Four additional charging stations will be installed in Manhattan and Brooklyn neighborhoods, selected based on the concentration of ebike delivery activity and delivery drivers. The new locations include:
Brooklyn
- Brooklyn Army Terminal in Sunset Park
Manhattan
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Essex Market on the Lower East Side
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Plaza De Las Americas in Washington Heights
Brooklyn
- Willoughby Street and Jay Street in Lower Brooklyn
These four locations will be receiving and activating public ebike battery charging stations in the coming weeks. The strategic placement of these new charging stations aims to support the growing number of ebike delivery workers in these high-demand areas.