Revel’s black-and-blue mopeds have become as ubiquitous as lantern flies on Brooklyn streets. Unlike the insects, though, they will soon be a thing of the past.
The Brooklyn-based company is “bringing an end to its shared electric moped service” effective November 18, the company wrote in a statement to Brooklyn Magazine. Moving forward, the company will focus its effort on its electric vehicle-powered ride-hail service and charging station business.
Revel launched in Bushwick in 2018 with about 70 mopeds that riders could rent for short periods of time. Today there are about 5,000 of the scooters on New York City streets. Demand has not kept up with supply, though: moped usage has fallen 30 percent year-over-year, according to TechCrunch, making the service “unsustainable” for the business according to the company.
“Mopeds are a huge part of Revel’s story and they’ve offered such a fun way to get around the city,” a letter to Revel users said. “We are grateful to all of you who have been on this journey with us.”
In addition to pulling out of Brooklyn, Revel’s moped rental business will be suspended in San Francisco. Nearly 70 employees will be laid off as a result.
The mopeds portion of Revel’s business has had previous problems in the past. In 2020, Revel suspended operations in New York in the aftermath of two fatal accidents involving its scooters. Later that year, Revel pulled out of Austin in December, citing the city’s overall car culture as well as the pandemic’s impact on local travel.
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