New York bill targets marketing of high-speed e-motos
A proposed New York law would prohibit the sale of certain high-speed electric vehicles and target retailers that market them as legal e-bikes or e-scooters.
New York state Sen. Kristen Gonzalez and Assemblymember Diana Moreno introduced S.10700 in September. The legislation would establish a legal definition for “e-motos,” prohibit their sale to New York purchasers and prohibit deceptive marketing that misrepresents them as e-bikes, e-scooters or other legal micromobility products. The bill was referred to the Senate Rules Committee on Sept. 14.
The legislation defines an e-moto as a device equipped with a motor capable of propelling it faster than 20 mph, with certain exclusions for vehicles already covered by New York’s vehicle laws. Under the bill, retailers and online sellers would be prohibited from selling e-motos in the state.
The proposal also addresses electric off-highway motorcycles. Those vehicles could only be advertised, offered for sale or sold by an ATV dealer physically located in New York and registered with the state Department of Motor Vehicles.
A major focus of S.10700 is marketing. The bill would make it unlawful to falsely or misleadingly market an e-moto or electric off-highway motorcycle as an e-bike, electric scooter or off-highway motorcycle when the vehicle does not meet the applicable legal definition.
Retailers also would be required to display a warning before a customer purchases an e-moto or electric off-highway motorcycle, stating that the device is not legal to ride on public highways or streets under New York law.
The legislation follows a May 28 crash on New York City’s Queensboro Bridge involving an illegal high-speed electric scooter and a bicyclist. According to the bill’s sponsor memo, both riders were killed. The memo says the scooter involved was capable of traveling more than 50 mph.
The issue was highlighted in a recent report by CBS News 2 New York, with reporter Elle McLogan reporting from Long Island City. The report focused on concerns surrounding high-speed e-bikes and e-scooters and included an account from a pedestrian who described a near miss with an e-bike.
“There are many that also go over 50 mph,” a community leader said in the report.
The CBS News 2 report also showed examples of legal e-bikes alongside higher-speed electric motorcycles, illustrating the difficulty consumers may have distinguishing between vehicles that fall under different New York regulations.
Supporters of the legislation say targeting the way high-speed vehicles are marketed could help reduce the number of noncompliant vehicles entering the city’s streets.
“I think one bill is not going to completely solve this problem,” an advocate said in the report, while expressing support for the legislation.
The bill remains in the legislative process and has not become law as of Sept. 23, 2026.
