Revel bails on electric mopeds in favor of more cars

There will be fewer electric scooters strewn about the streets of New York City and San Francisco soon. Electric moped sharing company Revel has decided to shut down its two-wheeler rentals to focus on its EV rideshare business, comprised of Tesla and Kia models. The 3,000 mopeds the company has left will be gathered up over the next couple of weeks for recycling.

Despite the growing popularity of similar services like Citi Bike’s bike share program, Revel spokesperson Robert Familiar told TechCrunch that its moped rides had fallen by 30 percent since last summer. The company had already pulled out of Washington, DC, and Miami in November last year. Revel will lay off “about 67 staffers” as it closes its moped rental side.

TechCrunch notes that the company started in 2018 with a Brooklyn storefront and 68 mopeds. In 2021, after a year of fatal moped accidents and lawsuits, the company kicked off its ridehailing business, now 500 cars strong, according to TechCrunch. Last year, the company announced it was building five fast-charging stations, three of which are now operational in New York, a sign the company was leaning into its EV automobile ambitions.

Revel’s rideshare currently operates in New York City and New Jersey, with service to JFK, LaGuardia, and Newark airports.