NYC Mayor Orders Online Retailers to Stop Illegal E-Bike Sales
Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued cease-and-desist letters to 42 retailers, including Amazon, to stop selling high-speed e-bikes and scooters following several rider fatalities.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani issued cease-and-desist letters to 42 online retailers, including Amazon, Temu, Target, Walmart, and Wayfair, demanding they stop selling illegally powerful e-bikes and e-scooters. The crackdown follows a series of fatalities, including the recent death of 17-year-old Gabriel Nacato in Lower Manhattan and a head-on collision on the Queensboro Bridge in May. Mamdani stated that illegal machines accounted for over half of all e-bike and scooter rider fatalities in the city between 2017 and 2025.
Under New York law, e-bikes are prohibited from exceeding 750 watts of power or speeds of 25 mph, while e-scooters must weigh under 100 pounds and not exceed 20 mph. Retailers have until August 18 to comply or face civil penalties of up to $2,000 per illegal sale. City officials are calling for retailers to meet with the NYPD and the Department of Transportation to eliminate the distribution of these vehicles.
Amazon stated it is reviewing the products in question and intends to partner with the mayor to ensure safety standards are met. State Attorney General Letitia James expressed support for the enforcement action, noting the difficulty for consumers to identify illegal vehicles when purchased online. Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn characterized the devices as motorcycles being marketed as bicycles.
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