New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s administration has sent cease-and-desist letters to 42 online retailers accused of selling motorized two-wheeled vehicles that exceed the city’s legal requirements for e-bikes and e-scooters.

The retailers have been given until August 18 to stop selling the devices to customers in New York City. Companies that fail to comply could face fines of up to $2,000 for each violation, according to the administration.

City Corporation Counsel Steve Banks sent the letters on August 5. The administration is also asking the companies to meet with officials from the New York Police Department, the Department of Transportation and the Law Department to discuss ending sales of the non-compliant devices in the city.

The companies receiving the letters include major retailers such as Amazon, Best Buy and Target, as well as electric micromobility companies including Deepower, Segway and Wilson’s.

Mayor Mamdani said the action is intended to place responsibility on retailers selling illegal vehicles rather than on consumers who may not be familiar with New York City’s regulations.

“We’re going to go after those websites and retailers that are willfully selling illegal vehicles to New Yorkers,” Mamdani said at a City Hall press conference on August 5.

Banks said the administration could take further legal action against companies that do not comply by the deadline. Possible measures include fines and litigation seeking to stop advertisements for products that officials say are being sold as legal vehicles.

Recent Fatal Incidents

Mamdani said the enforcement action follows the death of 17-year-old Gabriel Nacato, who was killed in Lower Manhattan after colliding with an SUV while riding a Deepower QS7.

According to the article, Deepower markets the QS7 as an e-bike. The device weighs 100 pounds, has a 1,500-watt motor and can reach a top speed of 30 mph. These specifications exceed New York City’s legal limits for e-bikes, which are 25 mph and 750 watts.

New York City Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn described devices of this type as “motorcycles being marketed to New Yorkers as bicycles.”

Mamdani and Flynn also cited an earlier fatal collision on the Queensboro Bridge involving an illegal motorized scooter reportedly capable of reaching 53 mph. Both the scooter rider and a bicycle rider were killed in the crash.

Under New York City rules cited in the article, e-scooters cannot exceed 20 mph or weigh more than 100 pounds.

Fatality Data

According to data cited by the Department of Transportation, illegal devices have been involved in a majority of e-bike and e-scooter rider fatalities in recent years.

From 2017 through last year, 45 rider deaths involved unlawful e-bikes capable of exceeding the 25 mph legal speed limit. Those deaths represented 54% of all e-bike rider fatalities during the period.

During the same period, 14 e-scooter rider deaths involved devices capable of exceeding the 20 mph legal speed limit, accounting for 52% of all e-scooter rider fatalities.

The city’s latest enforcement action comes as the New York City Council considers additional legislation related to e-bike safety. One proposal would prohibit the sale of Class 3 e-bikes with throttle assistance capable of reaching 25 mph, while other proposals would introduce additional regulations for app-based companies employing e-bike delivery workers.

Mamdani said the administration is considering multiple approaches to the issue, including working with the City Council on existing and newly introduced legislation.

Photo: NYC