The NYC Department of Transportation opened applications for external e-bike charging cabinets this week, allowing owners and managers to install stations on public sidewalks outside of their properties.
The Background on E-Bikes
E-bikes (and more specifically, lithium-ion chargers) have been a big concern for owners and managers citywide. The FDNY has increased educational information on chargers, adding key notes to recent FEP guides and bulletins. According to the Department, there were 268 fires in 2023 and slightly more in 2024 (279), that were caused by lithium-ion batteries. Many of these batteries are used to power e-bikes.
Still, the popularity of e-bikes makes it critical for the city to work with owners and managers to identify ways for e-bike users to safely charge their devices while keeping residents and tenants safe.
E-Bike Battery Charging And Swapping Cabinets
Per the city’s Application Guide, cabinets are “compact, vending-machine sized stations” for charging multiple electric micromobility devices safely and securely. Swapping stations allow users to exchange depleted UL batteries for new ones, where charging stations allow users to charge their own.
The City and the DOT have proposed the following program:
To reduce the fire risk posed by lithium-ion batteries, the City of New York supports the installation of outdoor e-bike battery charging and swapping cabinets on public sidewalks. Through an agreement with the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) called a revocable consent (RC), property owners and tenants can now install battery swapping and charging cabinets adjacent to their buildings in the public right-of-way to expand access to safe charging.
Owners will be able to apply for revocable consent following the steps in the guide. This would give owners the right to construct and maintain the charging cabinet for a 10-year term, which can then be renewed. The city does reserve the right to revoke consent at any time.
Per the guide, cabinets can be open to the general public or a building amenity, limited to specific groups of users.
Benefits & How To Apply
Installing charging and/or swapping cabinets allows owners and managers to help residents charge their devices safely, reducing fire risks from charging batteries inside. Installing these devices can also provide additional value to residents in the form of new benefits or building-specific amenities.
Per Crain’s:
Building owners can charge bikers a fee to access the cabinets, but the Transportation Department hasn’t worked out potential restrictions for such fees, according to the agency. One e-bike cabinet company, the Berlin-based Swobbee, that the city is partnering with to add the infrastructure on sidewalks says it plans to charge a maximum of $2 a day for an unlimited number of battery swaps.
It’s a good first step towards the City supporting property owners and resident needs & safety.
Interested owners or applicable parties can follow the steps outlined in the SafeChargeNYC guide to apply. You can also reach out to revocableconsents@dot.nyc.gov with any questions about the process or program.
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