Revel is leaving behind its roots and ending its (at times controversial) electric moped service New York City and San Francisco. Company CEO and co-founder Frank Reig has sent a company-wide email, viewed by TechCrunch, telling staff that “the service has been strained and ridership isn’t what it used to be.” Revel has also sent out emails to its passengers, notifying them that the service will shut down on November 18 and encouraging them to use their account credits before then.
As the publication notes, Revel pulled the service out of its other markets in 2022, and only has around 3,000 mopeds operational in NYC and San Francisco. A spokesperson from the company told TechCrunch that ridership has dropped by 30 percent in both remaining cities year-over-year and that it’s no longer sustainable to keep that segment of its business running.
Revel temporarily paused its moped service a few times over the years due to safety concerns. In 2020, it suspended the ridesharing solution following an accident wherein two customers were killed while riding its vehicles. It brought back the service after implementing a mandatory in-app safety test and requiring riders to take a selfie of themselves wearing a helmet. Revel also pulled its mopeds from the Bronx for over a year due to a string of battery thefts.
Going forward, Revel will focus on its EV ride-hailing service operated by employee drivers across the five boroughs of New York. It also plans to expand its EV fast-charging stations in New York and the Bay Area.