Photo by Spencer Platt / Getty Images
New York City opened its first public e-bike charging station on Thursday, part of a six-month pilot program to “support safe e-bike use and prevent deadly lithium-ion battery fires.” E-bike-related fires in the city killed 18 people and injured 150 in 2023 alone, according to The New York Times.
The new charging station in Cooper Square in the East Village will be available to 100 delivery workers free of charge during the pilot program. The city plans to open four other stations across Brooklyn and Manhattan “in the coming weeks.”
“We count on delivery workers for so much, and they should be able to count on us, too — whether that means fighting for fair pay or making their jobs and livelihoods safer,” said New York City Mayor Eric…