Revel Transit

Revel was founded in 2018 by Frank Reig who serves as CEO and Paul Suhey who serves as COO. In July 2018 it started with a 10-month pilot in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn and Queens with 68 scooters,{{cite web | title=New York's first electric moped rental program is scooting riders around in style | website=Electrek |last=Toll |first=Micah | date=Jul 31, 2018 | url=https://electrek.co/2018/07/31/new-york-first-electric-moped-rental-program/ | access-date=October 28, 2019}} eventually replacing them with 1,000 new scooters in the space of one week in May 2019.{{cite web | last=O'Kane | first=Sean | title=I tried out Revel's new mopeds and zipped around Brooklyn and Queens | website=The Verge | date=Jun 16, 2019 | url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/6/16/18677586/revel-mopeds-scooter-nyc-review | access-date=Sep 20, 2019}}{{cite web | last=Cuba | first=Julianne | title=Revel Sued by Cyclist Who Was Hit By One of its Many Untrained Scooter Drivers | website=Streetsblog New York City | date=Jul 1, 2019 | url=https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2019/08/01/revel-sued-by-cyclist-who-was-hit-by-one-of-its-many-untrained-scooter-drivers/ | access-date=October 28, 2019}}{{cite web | title=Brooklyn and Queens are now flush with 1,000 of Revel's shared electric mopeds – TechCrunch | website=TechCrunch | last=Korosec | first=Kirsten | date=May 29, 2019 | url=https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/29/brooklyn-and-queens-are-now-flush-with-1000-of-revels-shared-electric-mopeds/ | access-date=Oct 4, 2019}}{{cite web | title=Revel adds 1,000 more electric mopeds to NYC in scooter sharing program | website=Electrek | last=Toll | first=Micah | date=May 29, 2019 | url=https://electrek.co/2019/05/29/revel-adds-1000-electric-mopeds-nyc/ | access-date=Oct 4, 2019}}

On August 16, 2019, Revel expanded to Washington, D.C., with a pilot program of 400 mopeds{{Cite web | url=https://slate.com/business/2019/08/revel-moped-scooters-nyc-washington.html |title = Are Revel Mopeds the Fad of the Summer or the Future of Urban Transportation? | last=Granbar | first=Henry|website=Slate.com| date=August 29, 2019 | accessdate=October 28, 2019}} compared with a total of 5,600 other bikes and scooters from other sharing companies.{{cite news | title=D.C.'s first Revel moped crash was reported Sunday. The rider hit a pothole and fell off. | newspaper=Washington Post | last=Lazo | first=Luz

| date=August 20, 2019 | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/transportation/2019/08/20/first-revel-moped-crash-was-reported-sunday-rider-hit-pothole-fell-off/ | access-date=October 28, 2019}} Their first crash was reported the same weekend.{{cite web | title=Days After Moped-Sharing Service Launches, One Of The Vehicles Crashes | website=DCist | date=Aug 20, 2019 | url=https://dcist.com/story/19/08/20/shortly-after-moped-sharing-service-launches-one-of-the-vehicles-crashes/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820174804/https://dcist.com/story/19/08/20/shortly-after-moped-sharing-service-launches-one-of-the-vehicles-crashes/ | url-status=live | archive-date=August 20, 2019 | last=Kurzius | first=Rachel |access-date=October 28, 2019}}

As of June 2019, Revel has about 40 employees in New York, all full-time with insurance and benefits. In Washington they employ a further 30 employees. The mopeds it uses are not owned by the company; rather, outside companies buy the mopeds and lease them to Revel.{{cite web |last=O’Kane | first=Sean | title=Electric moped startup Revel expands into Washington, DC | website=The Verge | date=Aug 13, 2019 | url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/8/13/20804463/revel-washington-dc-scooters-moped-sharing | access-date=October 28, 2019}}

In June 2021, Revel opened its first public fast charging hub with 25 chargers in Brooklyn.{{Cite web |last=Bellan |first=Rebecca |date=2021-06-29 |title=Revel unveils electric vehicle fast charging superhub with 25 chargers in Brooklyn |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/06/29/revel-unveils-electric-vehicle-fast-charging-superhub-with-25-chargers-in-brooklyn/ |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=TechCrunch |language=en-US}}

In February 2021, Revel expanded its product line by offering monthly electric bike subscriptions to residents of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.{{Cite web|last=Korosec|first=Kirsten|date=February 16, 2021|title=Shared scooter startup Revel adds electric bike subscriptions to its business|url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/16/shared-scooter-startup-revel-adds-electric-bike-subscriptions-to-its-business/|access-date=2021-02-18|website=TechCrunch|language=en-US}} As of early April 2021, Revel also operates in Miami, Florida, and in the city of San Francisco, California, after exiting nearby Oakland and Berkeley in 2021.{{cite web |title=Press|url=https://gorevel.com/m/press|access-date=2021-04-04|website=Revel|language=en-US}}

In July 2021, Revel was granted approval by New York City's Taxi and Limousine Commission to start a taxi service. The city had a ban on new rideshare and taxi offerings, but had an exemption for fully electric vehicles.{{cite web | last=Nessen | first=Stephen | title=Revel Has Greenlight To Bring Tesla Taxis To Manhattan | website=Gothamist | date=2021-07-26 | url=https://gothamist.com/news/revel-has-greenlight-bring-tesla-taxis-manhattan | access-date=2023-11-05}} In August, Revel started with 50 Tesla Model Ys,{{cite web | last=Ricciulli | first=Valeria | title=Everything We Know About Revel's New Rideshare Teslas | website=Curbed | date=2021-08-06 | url=https://www.curbed.com/2021/08/revel-tesla-cabs-manhattan-nyc.html | access-date=2023-11-05}} and by November 2023 operated over 500 electric vehicles in New York and New Jersey.{{cite web | title=Electric Moped Company Revel Bails on Two Wheelers in Full Transition to Taxis | website=Streetsblog New York City | last=Cuba | first=Julianne | date=2023-11-03 | url=https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2023/11/03/electric-moped-company-revel-bails-on-two-wheelers-in-full-transition-to-taxis | access-date=2023-11-05}}

In November 2023, Revel announce the end of its moped sharing programs, saying it will now focus on its electric taxi service and vehicle charging stations.

As of July 2024, Revel has about 150 total employees. The company is headquartered in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn.{{Cite web |title=Revel NYC Office: Careers, Perks + Culture {{!}} Built In NYC |url=https://www.builtinnyc.com/company/revel |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=www.builtinnyc.com}} Revel has three charging stations in New York City with plans to develop 200 more chargers through 2025, supported by a partnership with Uber.{{Cite news |last=Lung |first=Natalie |date=2024-03-06 |title=Uber Partners With EV Startup Revel to Expand Charging Network |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-06/uber-partners-with-ev-startup-revel-to-expand-charging-network?srnd=undefined |access-date=2024-08-17 |work=Bloomberg.com |language=en}}

File:Revel scooter parked on E90 jeh.jpg

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Revel's mopeds were manufactured by a Chinese company called NIU and sell for between $3000 and $5000 retail. They weigh about {{cvt|200|lbs}}, are powered by two lithium-ion batteries, and have a range of {{cvt|60|mile}} with a top speed of {{cvt|30|mph}}. The batteries are replaced by Revel employees when they need to be recharged. They are equipped with two helmets which Revel says are cleaned every two or three days. All Revel mopeds are registered with the DMV and have license plates.

Drivers must be 18 or older, have a valid license, and pay a $5 fee for the verification.{{cite web | last=Rivoli | first=Dan | title=Revel Hit with Multiple Lawsuits | website=Spectrum News NY1 | New York City | date=2020-07-24 | url=https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/transit/2020/07/24/revel-mopeds-attract-new-yorkers-on-the-go--and-lawsuits | access-date=2020-11-15}} The company provides a free half-hour rider instructor course{{cite news | last=Small | first=Andrew | title=How to Survive Your First Electric Motor Scooter Ride | newspaper=Bloomberg | date=Sep 5, 2019 | url=https://www.citylab.com/transportation/2019/09/revel-electric-scooter-rental-review-moped-safety-tips-app/597367/ | access-date=Sep 20, 2019}} but has faced criticisms for its untrained riders and the small number of available lessons compared to the number of new riders.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/09/nyregion/mopeds-nyc.html|title=Now Crowding New York's Streets: Rented Mopeds Going 30 M.P.H.|first=Aaron|last=Randle|date=August 9, 2019|newspaper=The New York Times}}{{Cite web|url=https://brooklyneagle.com/articles/2019/08/22/revel-app-usage/|title=Revel rides approach 500,000 — but most riders are still untrained|last=Goldberg|first=Noah|date=August 22, 2019|website=Brooklyn Eagle}} The mopeds are driven and parked on the street, unlike other scooter or bike-sharing companies whose bikes take up space on the sidewalks.{{cite web | last=Subramanian | first=Pras | date=August 22, 2019 | title=Revel targets Uber, Lyft in ridesharing wars | website=Yahoo Finance | url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/revel-rideshare-moped-scooter-uber-lyft-150517295.html | access-date=Sep 20, 2019}} Revel does not permit its mopeds for use on major highways and bridges.{{cite web | last=Kircher | first=Madison Malone | title=Mopeds Are Coming for New York City | website=Intelligencer | date=Aug 6, 2019 | url=http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/08/revel-moped-scooters-are-taking-over-brooklyn.html | access-date=Sep 20, 2019}}

Revel Transit's first personal injury lawsuit came in July 2019 after a driver hit a biker, severely breaking the biker's ankle which required surgery. Police claim the biker pulled in front of the Revel driver who was turning left, causing a collision. The biker's lawyer, however, states that police did not take a statement from his client and it was the Revel driver who collided with the biker as he was attempting a left turn.

The suit claims that Revel is liable for "failure to assure its users ... had sufficient knowledge and skill to operate the moped; failed to ascertain previous experience in operating the moped", noting that the lessons offered by Revel were backlogged.

On August 9, 2019, a Revel rider was hit by a car from a rideshare company. Police say the rider ran a red light, while witnesses say the car was speeding as it passed through the intersection.{{Cite web|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/revel-e-scooter-injury-accident-ridedsharing-nyc-2019-8|title=A rideshare driver hit a man on a seated e-scooter in Brooklyn, highlighting potential risks as scooters and e-bikes expand nationwide|first=David|last=Slotnick|date=August 9, 2019|website=Business Insider}}

The first crash involving a Revel bike in Washington, D.C., occurred on August 18, 2019, the same weekend as their debut. A driver hit a pothole and fell off his moped which landed on top of him, breaking his collarbone. The company responded saying "Safety is our number one priority. This is why we verify riders have a safe driving history as part of our registration process, why we require all riders to use the helmets we provide on each Revel, and why we offer free lessons."

On August 31, 2019, two boys on a Revel in Washington, D.C., moped opened fire on an Uber car, leaving the driver with injuries from the shattered glass.{{Cite web|last=Spencer|first=Darcy|date=

August 31, 2019|url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/2-Boys-on-Revel-Moped-Shot-at-Uber-Car-Near-Capitol-Hill-558993981.html?amp=y|title=2 Boys on Revel Moped Shot at Uber Car Near Capitol Hill|website=www.nbcwashington.com}}

On July 18, 2020, CBS New York reporter Nina Kapur fell off a Revel moped and was killed in New York City. Less than two weeks later, on July 27, a 32-year-old man named Jeremy Malave was also killed in New York by a traumatic brain injury sustained from a Revel moped crash. Malave was wearing a helmet, but Kapur was not.{{cite web|last=McFarland|first=Matt|date=July 28, 2020|title=Revel suspends service in New York after second death in less than two weeks|url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/28/tech/revel-new-york-pause/index.html|access-date=July 28, 2020|publisher=CNN}} Following their deaths, Revel suspended operations in New York for one month.{{Cite web|last=Cohen|first=Li|date=August 27, 2020|title=Revel returns to NYC after 2 deaths and over two dozen injuries|url=https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/revel-returns-to-nyc-after-2-deaths-and-over-two-dozen-injuries/ar-BB18rg11|access-date=2021-04-27|website=www.msn.com|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210427150211/https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/revel-returns-to-nyc-after-2-deaths-and-over-two-dozen-injuries/ar-BB18rg11|archive-date=April 27, 2021}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|https://gorevel.com}}

{{Scooter sharing systems}}

Category:Mopeds

Category:Electric vehicle industry

Category:Scooter sharing companies

Category:Transportation companies based in New York City

Category:2018 establishments in New York City

Category:American companies established in 2018

Category:Transport companies established in 2018