In late 2024, I began regular seeing oddly shaped pedal-powered Amazon delivery vehicles on my walks. That description may be less than descriptive, so allow me to illustrate with a photo I took of one parked in the wild – the wild being Brooklyn Heights.
I captured the endearing Amazon cart-bike thing on Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights on April 6, 2025. While it was not raining when I took the photo, it was a wet day.
While I first saw only a few of these in late 2024, now I see many – perhaps more of these things than Amazon’s new full sized electric delivery trucks. While it is hard to see in the photo – they have pedals, and the guys driving them are usually pedaling. They fit into bike lanes (I have seen them using bike lanes in Columbia Street Waterfront District and Red Hook) and they can slither through traffic. I will also note that none of them have tried to run me over – which is a marked improvement over many other two- and four-wheeled vehicles.
While I have enjoyed watching the funny Amazon carts drive around, I had not dug into their backstory. Let us change that.
I was aware of the funny little delivery carts before Amazon flooded Brooklyn with them in the past few months. Back in 2022, I recall reading an article about how UPS was testing a similar design. I do not remember the precise article I read, but this June 15, 2022 report from the Associated Press is close enough. I quote from the beginning of the report:
The sleek four-wheeled carts look familiar enough, but not even UPS knows precisely how to describe what could be the delivery giant’s latest way to get packages to your door.
The article I read back in 2022 called them bikes (see an example article). Now they are certainly not bikes. Bikes have two wheels, not four – much like unicycles and tricycles have one and three wheels respectively. I found another article which called them eQuad electric bikes, but I am not sure the Quad ameliorates the four-wheeled bike issue.
But I digress.
While I remembered reading about UPS’s plans, I have not seen any of the UPS pedal-powered delivery things in the wild. UPS still drives trucks around these parts, albeit I have not been seeing as many since Amazon began employing more first-party delivery solutions. Amazon’s own electric trucks, which preceded the funny pedal things, had already become increasingly common.
Amazon’s “Cargo Bikes” or Carts
On November 18, 2024 – which is probably close to when I first noticed the little pedal delivery things taking over – Amazon published an article about them. Amazon calls them “e-cargo bikes” (they are not bikes!) and said that it began testing them in New York in 2019 for grocery deliveries. I will submit for the record that I do not remember seeing any in Brooklyn, so I suppose they were not being tested in my area. Amazon’s press blog then states that “[i]n March 2023, the e-cargo bike pilot was expanded to package delivery in Brooklyn.” Again, I do not recall seeing any of them out and about in 2023. The next part of Amazon’s article seems in line with my impression: “Amazon also started piloting a new model of e-cargo delivery bike in Brooklyn in November 2024 that can carry up to 120 packages per trip.”
These two people kindly strolled into my shot so you can see how tall (or short) the cart is.
If my own observations are representative, it seems like the new model pilot lines up neatly with them taking over Brooklyn streets in my broader area.
NYC DOT Rules For “Electric-Cargo Bicycles” Or Carts
An article in Motor Biscuit alerted me to a policy change which facilitated Amazon’s pedal-powered domination of Brooklyn streets. On March 27, 2024, the New York City Department of Transportation published a press release titled NYC DOT Authorizes the Use of E-Cargo Bikes on City Streets and Establishes Key Safety Standards. The final rule allowing this delivery method “allow[s] the use of pedal-assist electric-cargo bicycles that may be up to 48 inches wide and have up to four wheels.” Again, I note that bicycle and up to four wheels are in conflict, and the City’s “expand[ing] the legal definition of ‘bicycle’ to include ‘pedal-assist bicycle’ and defin[ing] ‘commercial bicycle’ as a bicycle used to transport commercial goods” does not make three or four equal two. In more practical matters, the NYC DOT press release notes that the “e-cargo bikes” have a speed limit of 15 miles per hour, down from 20 in an earlier proposal.
More on Amazon’s “Electric Cargo Bike” Or Cart History in New York City
Now let us return to the Motor Biscuit article to learn more about how we got from Amazon testing the electric pedal carts to taking over a chunk of New York City. I quote from the pertinent parts of the article:
Amazon has had a whole fleet of e-cargo bikes ready to roll in Manhattan for years now.
When I first read about them being tested for grocery deliveries, I suspected that the tests were taking place in Manhattan. I do not go to Manhattan often, so it makes since that I never crossed paths with an Amazon cart making grocery deliveries.
Despite the logical aspects of the plan, Amazon seemed to experience launch pains. In 2021, rumors spread that Amazon paused its e-cargo bike initiative because an employee tipped one over during a training exercise.
It has occurred to me that their height-width ratio would present a tip-over risk. Perhaps the new models unleashed on November addressed earlier issues.
In 2022 … there wasn’t an e-cargo bike in sight…well, except for the satellite images of its unused fleet sitting on a Manhattan rooftop.
I am glad to know I was not missing something very obvious in 2022.
In 2023, an Amazon spokesperson confirmed it was piloting e-cargo package deliveries out of its Red Hook hub.
I had previously walked by Amazon’s Red Hook facility (it is close to the Ikea I featured in a 2024 dialogue). This lines up with my observation that I have seen many using bike lanes in Columbia Street Waterfront District and Red Hook (these two neighborhoods are connected). I figured before researching for this article that the carts were based in Red Hook.
My Thoughts
My opinion of electric delivery bicycles (and electric bikes generally) in New York City has been documented and is decidedly negative. But while Amazon has its issues, I am in favor of the funny little delivery carts having now observed them in action. They look good for vehicles (I also think Amazon’s new Rivian trucks are aesthetic) and are entertaining to watch. There is something about the way they move that is just right – they make you want to root for them (especially if you are waiting for a package). Unlike delivery trucks, they do not have a tendency to park in crosswalks or otherwise park illegally, which is a net gain for me as a pedestrian. Unlike the real electric bikes, the Amazon e-cargo bikes do not drive on the sidewalk (or other places they are not supposed to be), make illegal turns when I have the light, blind me with headlights, go the wrong way on one-way streets, or otherwise engage in activities liable to harm me as a pedestrian. I dare say the ones I have seen have been very well-behaved. If only the restaurant delivery bikers could learn from them.
I will submit one concern having researched the issue. I quote from the Motor Biscuit article:
Operating them doesn’t require a driver’s license – something that I know is a huge challenge for delivery fleets, having worked closely with commercial auto parts suppliers.
I am not a fan of traditional e-bikes in Brooklyn and broadly in favor of licensure and regulation rules if we must tolerate them (the registration issue is not a problem for Amazon’s fleet). While the Amazon cart drivers have been exceptionally well-behaved, I am curious what kind of training they need to undergo to drive the carts, especially since I have often seen them on busy streets and avenues. The NYC DOT stated in the initial authorization announcement that it “will provide e-cargo bike operators with safety training and educational materials on e-cargo bike use and battery charging.” It seems like they have done well with the Amazon drivers so far, but more details would be welcome. (It would also be nice if some of this training reached the traditional e-bike looney toons, but that may be too much to ask.)
All-in-all, I tip my hat to Amazon for its thus far effective execution of its electric delivery cart program in my neck of the woods, and I hope it keeps going swimmingly so I can keep watching the funny things roll around without having to take back my hat tip.
(I also hope to see them make more use of the bike lanes (they seem to prefer the street proper) in the faint hope that maybe they will indirectly help get the traditional e-bikes under control.)
I am the Brooklyn-based administrator, editor, and main author of The New Leaf Journal and The Emu Café Social. By day I am a legal research specialist and writer. I write about my interests in my articles which include, but are in no way limited to, anime, current events, feeds and feed readers, Linux and open source, philosophy, plants, reading, video games and visual novels, and walks in Brooklyn.
Amazon “Cargo Bikes” in Brooklyn
Commentary NLJ Original PhotographyNicholas A. FerrellIn late 2024, I began regular seeing oddly shaped pedal-powered Amazon delivery vehicles on my walks. That description may be less than descriptive, so allow me to illustrate with a photo I took of one parked in the wild – the wild being Brooklyn Heights.
While I first saw only a few of these in late 2024, now I see many – perhaps more of these things than Amazon’s new full sized electric delivery trucks. While it is hard to see in the photo – they have pedals, and the guys driving them are usually pedaling. They fit into bike lanes (I have seen them using bike lanes in Columbia Street Waterfront District and Red Hook) and they can slither through traffic. I will also note that none of them have tried to run me over – which is a marked improvement over many other two- and four-wheeled vehicles.
While I have enjoyed watching the funny Amazon carts drive around, I had not dug into their backstory. Let us change that.
Learning About the “Cargo Bikes” or Carts
I was aware of the funny little delivery carts before Amazon flooded Brooklyn with them in the past few months. Back in 2022, I recall reading an article about how UPS was testing a similar design. I do not remember the precise article I read, but this June 15, 2022 report from the Associated Press is close enough. I quote from the beginning of the report:
The article I read back in 2022 called them bikes (see an example article). Now they are certainly not bikes. Bikes have two wheels, not four – much like unicycles and tricycles have one and three wheels respectively. I found another article which called them eQuad electric bikes, but I am not sure the Quad ameliorates the four-wheeled bike issue.
But I digress.
While I remembered reading about UPS’s plans, I have not seen any of the UPS pedal-powered delivery things in the wild. UPS still drives trucks around these parts, albeit I have not been seeing as many since Amazon began employing more first-party delivery solutions. Amazon’s own electric trucks, which preceded the funny pedal things, had already become increasingly common.
Amazon’s “Cargo Bikes” or Carts
On November 18, 2024 – which is probably close to when I first noticed the little pedal delivery things taking over – Amazon published an article about them. Amazon calls them “e-cargo bikes” (they are not bikes!) and said that it began testing them in New York in 2019 for grocery deliveries. I will submit for the record that I do not remember seeing any in Brooklyn, so I suppose they were not being tested in my area. Amazon’s press blog then states that “[i]n March 2023, the e-cargo bike pilot was expanded to package delivery in Brooklyn.” Again, I do not recall seeing any of them out and about in 2023. The next part of Amazon’s article seems in line with my impression: “Amazon also started piloting a new model of e-cargo delivery bike in Brooklyn in November 2024 that can carry up to 120 packages per trip.”
If my own observations are representative, it seems like the new model pilot lines up neatly with them taking over Brooklyn streets in my broader area.
NYC DOT Rules For “Electric-Cargo Bicycles” Or Carts
An article in Motor Biscuit alerted me to a policy change which facilitated Amazon’s pedal-powered domination of Brooklyn streets. On March 27, 2024, the New York City Department of Transportation published a press release titled NYC DOT Authorizes the Use of E-Cargo Bikes on City Streets and Establishes Key Safety Standards. The final rule allowing this delivery method “allow[s] the use of pedal-assist electric-cargo bicycles that may be up to 48 inches wide and have up to four wheels.” Again, I note that bicycle and up to four wheels are in conflict, and the City’s “expand[ing] the legal definition of ‘bicycle’ to include ‘pedal-assist bicycle’ and defin[ing] ‘commercial bicycle’ as a bicycle used to transport commercial goods” does not make three or four equal two. In more practical matters, the NYC DOT press release notes that the “e-cargo bikes” have a speed limit of 15 miles per hour, down from 20 in an earlier proposal.
(Aside: The press release includes a photo of a New York City Department of Transportation pedal cart in a bike lane, but I have not seen any of those in the wild.)
More on Amazon’s “Electric Cargo Bike” Or Cart History in New York City
Now let us return to the Motor Biscuit article to learn more about how we got from Amazon testing the electric pedal carts to taking over a chunk of New York City. I quote from the pertinent parts of the article:
When I first read about them being tested for grocery deliveries, I suspected that the tests were taking place in Manhattan. I do not go to Manhattan often, so it makes since that I never crossed paths with an Amazon cart making grocery deliveries.
It has occurred to me that their height-width ratio would present a tip-over risk. Perhaps the new models unleashed on November addressed earlier issues.
I am glad to know I was not missing something very obvious in 2022.
I had previously walked by Amazon’s Red Hook facility (it is close to the Ikea I featured in a 2024 dialogue). This lines up with my observation that I have seen many using bike lanes in Columbia Street Waterfront District and Red Hook (these two neighborhoods are connected). I figured before researching for this article that the carts were based in Red Hook.
My Thoughts
My opinion of electric delivery bicycles (and electric bikes generally) in New York City has been documented and is decidedly negative. But while Amazon has its issues, I am in favor of the funny little delivery carts having now observed them in action. They look good for vehicles (I also think Amazon’s new Rivian trucks are aesthetic) and are entertaining to watch. There is something about the way they move that is just right – they make you want to root for them (especially if you are waiting for a package). Unlike delivery trucks, they do not have a tendency to park in crosswalks or otherwise park illegally, which is a net gain for me as a pedestrian. Unlike the real electric bikes, the Amazon e-cargo bikes do not drive on the sidewalk (or other places they are not supposed to be), make illegal turns when I have the light, blind me with headlights, go the wrong way on one-way streets, or otherwise engage in activities liable to harm me as a pedestrian. I dare say the ones I have seen have been very well-behaved. If only the restaurant delivery bikers could learn from them.
I will submit one concern having researched the issue. I quote from the Motor Biscuit article:
I am not a fan of traditional e-bikes in Brooklyn and broadly in favor of licensure and regulation rules if we must tolerate them (the registration issue is not a problem for Amazon’s fleet). While the Amazon cart drivers have been exceptionally well-behaved, I am curious what kind of training they need to undergo to drive the carts, especially since I have often seen them on busy streets and avenues. The NYC DOT stated in the initial authorization announcement that it “will provide e-cargo bike operators with safety training and educational materials on e-cargo bike use and battery charging.” It seems like they have done well with the Amazon drivers so far, but more details would be welcome. (It would also be nice if some of this training reached the traditional e-bike looney toons, but that may be too much to ask.)
All-in-all, I tip my hat to Amazon for its thus far effective execution of its electric delivery cart program in my neck of the woods, and I hope it keeps going swimmingly so I can keep watching the funny things roll around without having to take back my hat tip.
(I also hope to see them make more use of the bike lanes (they seem to prefer the street proper) in the faint hope that maybe they will indirectly help get the traditional e-bikes under control.)
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Nicholas A. Ferrell
I am the Brooklyn-based administrator, editor, and main author of The New Leaf Journal and The Emu Café Social. By day I am a legal research specialist and writer. I write about my interests in my articles which include, but are in no way limited to, anime, current events, feeds and feed readers, Linux and open source, philosophy, plants, reading, video games and visual novels, and walks in Brooklyn.