New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has launched a crackdown on illegal e-bikes and e-scooters, ordering 42 online retailers to stop selling non-compliant vehicles to city residents.
The cease-and-desist notices target Amazon, Walmart, Temu and Target. Reports also name Best Buy and Wayfair. Retailers have until August 18 to comply or could face fines of $2,000 for each illegal sale.
The action targets high-speed, non-compliant devices rather than legal e-bikes and e-scooters used across the city.
ABC7 cited city data showing more than 500 e-bike collisions and 795 scooter collisions this year, up more than 28 percent from the same period last year.
“As we continue to focus on this work, we will let New Yorkers know what the next steps are. For now, cease-and-desist orders are our focus,” Mamdani said at a press conference.
The 34-year-old democratic socialist is New York City’s first Muslim mayor.
Teen’s Death Intensifies Safety Debate
The crackdown came one week after 17-year-old Gabriel Nacato died in a crash near City Hall while riding a Deepower QS7. The manufacturer advertises the model with a 1,500-watt peak motor and a top speed of 30 mph.
That performance puts the vehicle beyond New York City’s definition of a standard powered bicycle. The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection defines an e-bike as having a motor below 750 watts and a maximum design speed of 25 mph.
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Separate operating rules set a lower limit. The Department of Transportation says e-bike and e-scooter riders cannot exceed 15 mph on any city street.
Mamdani said retailers have sold vehicles that can travel far beyond legal limits. His administration is initially focusing on companies supplying such devices rather than a broader crackdown on riders already using them.
City Council Plans Wider Review
The New York City Council has also announced a “comprehensive review of existing laws” as officials search for additional street-safety measures.
Council Speaker Julie Menin said: “Every New Yorker deserves to move around our city freely and safely, regardless of how they get around. But too many people have been seriously injured or killed in crashes involving illegal e-bikes, e-motos, and e-scooters.”
“New Yorkers should never have to wonder whether a walk through their neighborhood or bike ride to work will end in an accident,” Menin added.
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Council members are considering limits on sales of high-speed e-bikes, tougher action against unregistered mopeds and stronger penalties for riders who leave crash scenes. Other proposals include additional insurance requirements for delivery platforms and a trade-in program for illegal bikes.
The crackdown marks a new phase in Mamdani’s micromobility policy. In March, his administration ended criminal summonses for low-level cycling and e-bike traffic violations while keeping civil enforcement.
