Transit & Streets Active Updated Jul 31, 2026
The illegal e-moto deaths
Illegal high-speed e-mobility devices sold openly online, some built well past the state's 750-watt power cap, have killed three New Yorkers this year, most recently 17-year-old Gabriel Nacato near City Hall. Attorney General Letitia James is preparing a consumer alert against the devices after years without major enforcement. The fight is over whether the state moves beyond warnings to stop retailers and online marketplaces from selling them.
The story so far
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Jul 31, 2026 Latest
Hours after Streetsblog reported that Gabriel Nacato's e-moto actually had a 1,500-watt motor, double the legal cap, manufacturer Deepower changed its website to describe the same model as a legal 250-watt, 20-mph e-bike, though other retailers including Walmart still listed it at its true wattage.
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Jul 30, 2026
A Chevy Tahoe struck and killed Gabriel Nacato, 17, riding an illegal 960-watt e-moto near City Hall, unhelmeted, the third death this year tied to illegal high-speed e-mobility devices after Terri Valenti and Dmytro Stechenko. Attorney General Letitia James said she will issue a consumer alert against the devices.
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