The New York Senate recently passed a slate of micromobility safety legislation, sending four bills to Governor Hochul’s desk for approval. If signed into law, these policies will set a new standard for lithium-ion battery safety, offering a model for other states to protect consumers and first responders from uncertified and unsafe batteries.

“With the electric mobility market continuing to evolve, our team is collaborating with state governments on model legislation,” said Dr. Ash Lovell, electric bike policy and campaign director at PeopleForBikes. “This package of bills in New York is a great example of how the expertise of our PeopleForBikes team can complement the legislative process to deliver complete solutions.”

As the U.S. bicycle industry’s trade association, PeopleForBikes works to prioritize bicycles in government decisions at the federal, state, and local levels and advocates for policies and legislation that benefit both everyday riders and bike businesses across the U.S. Our policy efforts include protecting bike businesses from trade and tariff issues, advancing sustainability and climate initiatives centering bikes as a solution, improving recreational access for bikes on our public lands, and making electric bicycles safer and more accessible for all Americans.

In collaboration with Call2Recycle, leading battery recycling experts in North America, PeopleForBikes also supports an industrywide e-bike battery recycling program to promote the safe and responsible disposal of old e-bike batteries to keep them out of landfills. The program offers brands and consumers a proactive solution to battery recycling as other cities and states across the country look to address e-bike battery safety. 

Keeping Unsafe, Untested Batteries Off the Market

Part of the New York legislation, the Batteries For Micromobility Devices, Bicycles With Electric Assist, And Limited Use Motorcycles Act (S154F/A4938D) will establish statewide standards for the manufacture and sale of lithium-ion batteries for e-mobility products (like e-bikes). The new policy aims to protect riders by keeping unregulated, unsafe batteries off the market while allowing manufacturers who already meet safety standards to continue sales with minimal impact.

The legislation also includes an important amendment, supported by PeopleForBikes, which recognizes battery standards from Europe (EN 15194) and the U.S. (UL 2849) for electric bicycles and their drive systems. It also specifies that testing labs must be properly accredited or be an OSHA-approved nationally recognized testing lab (NRTL). This ensures only high-quality, tested batteries are used in e-mobility products, reducing the risk of accidents or malfunctions due to unsafe batteries. At the local level, the New York City Council previously adopted this same approach to lab accreditation, also suggested by PeopleForBikes.

“Our team advocated for the European and American e-bike standards in New York since both of these testing standards are proven and powerful tools to prevent battery fires,” said Matt Moore, PeopleForBikes’ policy counsel. “We hope other states will follow suit to implement EN 15194 or UL 2849 as the gold standard for battery testing for electric bicycles.” 

New Battery Rebate Program

A number of other bills that cleared the state legislature put New York on the leading edge of lithium-ion battery safety in the nation. Senator Cordell Cleare and Assemblymember Yudelka Tapia sponsored S6809B/ A6811C, which requires the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to establish a sustainable lithium-ion battery exchange program for New Yorkers using old, untested batteries to power their e-mobility devices, many of whom rely on those devices for delivery work.

Fire Prevention Resources

Senator Cleare and Representative Manny De Los Santos sponsored S8743/A9338, which will direct the New York Department of State to develop and maintain safety resources with respect to fire hazard prevention for lithium-ion batteries. These bills provide tangible and actionable safety solutions to the challenges New York faces with battery fires while also encouraging New Yorkers to better understand their responsibilities and role in fire prevention.

This critical progress in New York will help shape e-bike battery safety regulations nationwide. PeopleForBikes looks forward to working with other state and local legislators, as well as the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in advancing consistent and harmonized regulatory standards for lithium-ion batteries used in electric bicycles and other mobility products.