Revel is decommissioning its fleet of electric mopeds in San Francisco amid declining demand for the ride-sharing service and heightened concern about safety.
The electric mobility startup announced the plan in a company email Friday, first reported by TechCrunch.
According to the staff-wide memo from CEO Frank Reig, all 3,000 remaining Revel two-wheelers will be pulled off the roads in San Francisco and New York City—the company's last two moped-sharing markets—later this month.
Revel spokesperson Robert Familiar confirmed those details to The Standard, adding that the mobility firm has shifted its focus to electric car ride-hailing and charging.
To that end, Familiar wrote in an email to The Standard on Saturday, Revel is developing "large public fast-charging networks in America's two densest metros, New York and the Bay Area."
Per Familiar, that network will include about 200 public fast-charging plugs across San Jose, Oakland and San Francisco.
"Our charging Superhubs are open to the public 24/7, not garage paywalled, and can charge Teslas and other EVs in minutes, not hours," he said. "We're looking to break ground on the first sites soon."
The company's move away from mopeds also reportedly comes after a 30% decline in ridership, which made the service unsustainable.
Meanwhile, the electric Revel scooters made by Niu, which zip around city streets at up to 30 mph, ignited fears about safety after multiple fatalities and fiery explosions—including one in San Francisco last year that totaled two cars.
It's a bad day for car-free travel in NYC. @_GoRevel is shutting down their moped business in NYC and SF.@StreetsblogNYC @ShabazzStuart pic.twitter.com/UXo5RDSKrY
— Matthew Willner (@Noticeandaccept) November 3, 2023
A Revel email to customers urged them to use up any credits by Nov. 18, the last day to ride the baby-blue scooters before they're rolled off to the recycling yard.