Amazon has stated it will review its product listings after receiving a cease-and-desist letter from New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani regarding the sale of certain motorized scooters and e-bikes. The company told Nexstar’s WPIX that it requires products to meet safety standards and expressed a willingness to cooperate with city officials to ensure compliance with local regulations.
The legal notice was part of a broader action by Mayor Mamdani, who sent similar letters to 40 major retailers, including Walmart, Target, Wayfair, and Temu. The city is demanding that these companies immediately stop selling motorized devices to New York City residents and businesses if the products exceed local legal limits for speed, weight, or wattage.
City officials stated that the prohibited devices include e-bikes that exceed the city’s 15 mph speed limit or maximum allowances of 20 to 25 mph, as well as scooters weighing more than 100 pounds. Department of Transportation Commissioner Mike Flynn characterized some of these products as motorcycles being marketed as bicycles. The enforcement push follows the death of a 17-year-old cyclist, Gabriel Nacato, who was struck by an SUV while riding an e-bike that officials said could reach speeds over 30 mph.
For residents, the day-to-day impact involves a stricter limitation on what can be legally operated in city bike lanes. The enforcement is intended to remove devices from the streets that exceed the 15-20 mph limits, which officials argue are unsafe for shared infrastructure. A person trying to order a high-wattage e-bike or a moped without a proper Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) would likely see these items marked as unavailable for shipping to New York City zip codes as retailers update their systems to avoid fines.
The action sets a precedent for how municipal governments may hold third-party marketplaces accountable for the specifications of products sold by independent vendors on their platforms. While Amazon has indicated it will look into the specific products, other retailers like Target have not yet publicly responded to the request for comment. The final deadline for compliance is Aug. 18, 2026, at which point the city may begin issuing the $2,000 fines for continued sales of non-compliant devices.