The city has opened applications for its first ever e-bike trade-in program for food delivery workers, aiming to reduce the risk of deadly e-battery fires and get illegal mopeds off the streets.
The initiative allows eligible food delivery workers to trade in uncertified electric bikes or illegal mopeds for safer, UL-certified e-bikes and spare batteries at no cost, the Department of Transportation said in a release.
“Safer e-bikes, batteries, and charging practices are key to a cleaner and more sustainable transportation future and to protecting all New Yorkers from deadly fires,” DOT Commissioner Ydanis Rodriguez said in a statement.
To qualify, applicants must:
- Be a New York City resident aged 18 or older
- Have earned at least $1,500 in 2024 as a food delivery worker “at a food service establishment, a third-party food delivery service, or a third-party courier service”
- Own an operable uncertified e-bike or non-street-legal moped
Applications are open online until Feb. 17, with support services available to assist workers in completing their applications. Selected participants must also complete an online safety training course to ensure proper e-bike usage, the release said.
The program comes amid ongoing concerns over uncertified lithium-ion batteries, which have been linked to a surge in deadly fires.
The Adams administration first announced the initiative in July of 2024, promising to allocate $2 million to the program. The DOT said it’s hoping to distribute more than 400 certified e-bikes and spare batteries through trade-ins this year.
In a statement, FDNY Commissioner Robert Tucker said the agency “has been working tirelessly to educate the public about the dangers of lithium-ion batteries for the last three years.”
“This program will better protect delivery workers, first responders, and our city,” Tucker said.
