Traffic has always been a problem in heavily populated cities, which is why companies that offer micro-mobility and other rentable vehicles that can navigate through traffic have been extremely helpful for many. Those who prefer mopeds to bikes and scooters, however, will soon lose Revel as an option.
Revel Mopeds Off the Road
Revel used to have its electric moped service operational in several locations. Eventually, all that was left was New York City and San Francisco. Now, the company is finally shutting down the service entirely as it is taking its mopeds off rotation after five years.
"The service has been strained and ridership isn't what it used to be," said Revel CEO and co-founder Frank Reig to company employees. There was also a separate email sent to Revel customers to inform them of the change.
In the email, it was stated that the service will no longer be active by November 18th, which is why the company is encouraging customers to use their account credits before then. The company then thanked those who have availed the service.
It was an important decision for Revel, considering that ridership for the service has dropped 30% year-over-year in the remaining cities. A spokesperson stated that it was no longer sustainable to keep the moped business running, as reported by Engadget.
The company will still remain in business with its other services. It currently has 500 electric vehicles that are available in all five boroughs across New York, all of which are operated by more than 1,500 employee drivers who are delivering rides across the locations.
By comparison, Revel's number of EVs is much lower than its scooters, seeing as there are around 3,000 mopeds that are operating in both New York City and San Francisco. It's still unclear what the company will do with the vehicles once they are put out of service.
Moving on to EVs and Fast Charging
Revel will be focusing more on its EV ridesharing service, where it operates all-electric vehicles with drivers the company employs. It's also looking into expanding its fast-charging superhubs in various cities.
The company states that cities lack the infrastructure necessary to encourage drivers to go electric. It's also a way for its personal ridesharing fleet to have easy and quick access to charging stations.
Currently, Revel has three Superhubs with 50 charging stalls overall. The stalls can provide level 3 fast charging which can get a vehicle 100 miles in under 20 minutes, using its 120 kilowatt chargers.
When it comes to accessibility, the chargers also appear to be as reliable as any other EV chargers since it is compatible with any EV make or model, and it remains open for customers to use 24/7.
All drivers have to do is head to the nearest charging station they can find and pay the necessary fee. The company boasts of not having hidden fees in its Superhubs as well such as parking fees that other chargers include.
