Revel Transit

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New York City couple on a Revel scooter in 2019

Revel is a dockless electric moped sharing startup based in New York City. Founded in 2018 by Frank Reig and Paul Suhey, it first started with a small pilot program in New York, later growing its fleet size in New York and expanding into Washington, D.C.

History[]

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,[1] eventually replacing them with 1,000 new scooters in the space of one week in May 2019.[2][3][4][5]

On August 16, 2019, Revel expanded to Washington, D.C. with a pilot program of 400 mopeds[6] compared with a total of 5,600 other bikes and scooters from other sharing companies.[7] Their first crash was reported the same weekend.[7][8]

As of June 2019, Revel has about 40 employees in New York, all full-time with insurance and benefits.[2] 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.[9]

In February 2021, Revel expanded its product line by offering monthly electric bike subscriptions to residents of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx.[10] As of early April 2021, Revel also operates in Miami, Florida, and the California Bay Area city of San Francisco, after exiting Oakland and Berkeley in 2021.[11]

Vehicles[]

Revel scooter parked on E90 jeh.jpg

Revel's mopeds are manufactured by a Chinese company called NIU and sell for between $3000 and $5000 retail. They weigh about 200 lb (91 kg),[12] are powered by 2 lithium-ion batteries,[2] and have a range of 60 mi (97 km) with a top speed of 30 mph (48 km/h).[12][13] The batteries are replaced by Revel employees when they need to be recharged.[14] They are equipped with two helmets[7] which Revel says are cleaned every two or three days.[2] All Revel mopeds are registered with the DMV and have license plates.[7]

Driving requirements[]

Drivers must be 21 or older, have a valid license, and pay a $5 fee for the verification.[15] The company provides a free half-hour rider instructor course[12] but has faced criticisms for its untrained riders and the small number of available lessons compared to the number of new riders.[16][17] The mopeds are driven and parked on the street, unlike other scooter or bike-sharing companies whose bikes take up space on the sidewalks.[13] Revel does not permit its mopeds for use on major highways and bridges.[14]

Safety incidents and legal challenges[]

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.[3]

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.[18]

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.[8] 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."[7]

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.[19]

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.[20] Following their deaths, Revel suspended operations in New York for one month.[21]

References[]

  1. ^ "New York's first electric moped rental program is scooting riders around in style". Electrek. July 31, 2018. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d Kane (June 16, 2019). "I tried out Revel's new mopeds and zipped around Brooklyn and Queens". The Verge. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  3. ^ a b Cuba, Julianne (July 1, 2019). "Revel Sued by Cyclist Who Was Hit By One of its Many Untrained Scooter Drivers". Streetsblog New York City. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  4. ^ "Brooklyn and Queens are now flush with 1,000 of Revel's shared electric mopeds – TechCrunch". TechCrunch. May 29, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  5. ^ "Revel adds 1,000 more electric mopeds to NYC in scooter sharing program". Electrek. May 29, 2019. Retrieved October 4, 2019.
  6. ^ Granbar, Henry (August 29, 2019). "Are Revel Mopeds the Fad of the Summer or the Future of Urban Transportation?". Slate.com. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  7. ^ a b c d e "D.C.'s first Revel moped crash was reported Sunday. The rider hit a pothole and fell off". Washington Post. August 20, 2019. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  8. ^ a b Kurzius, Rachel (August 20, 2019). "Days After Moped-Sharing Service Launches, One Of The Vehicles Crashes". DCist. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  9. ^ O’Kane, Sean (August 13, 2019). "Electric moped startup Revel expands into Washington, DC". The Verge. Retrieved October 28, 2019.
  10. ^ "Shared scooter startup Revel adds electric bike subscriptions to its business". TechCrunch. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
  11. ^ "Press". Revel. Retrieved April 4, 2021.
  12. ^ a b c Small, Andrew (September 5, 2019). "How to Survive Your First Electric Motor Scooter Ride". CityLab. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  13. ^ a b "Revel targets Uber, Lyft in ridesharing wars". Yahoo Finance. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  14. ^ a b Kircher, Madison Malone (August 6, 2019). "Mopeds Are Coming for New York City". Intelligencer. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  15. ^ Rivoli, Dan (July 24, 2020). "Revel Hit with Multiple Lawsuits". Spectrum News NY1 | New York City. Retrieved November 15, 2020.
  16. ^ Randle, Aaron (August 9, 2019). "Now Crowding New York's Streets: Rented Mopeds Going 30 M.P.H." The New York Times.
  17. ^ "Revel rides approach 500,000 — but most riders are still untrained". Brooklyn Eagle. August 22, 2019.
  18. ^ Slotnick, David. "A rideshare driver hit a man on a seated e-scooter in Brooklyn, highlighting potential risks as scooters and e-bikes expand nationwide". Business Insider.
  19. ^ "2 Boys on Revel Moped Shot at Uber Car Near Capitol Hill". www.nbcwashington.com.
  20. ^ McFarland, Matt (July 28, 2020). "Revel suspends service in New York after second death in less than two weeks". CNN. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
  21. ^ "Revel returns to NYC after 2 deaths and over two dozen injuries". www.msn.com. Retrieved April 27, 2021.

External links[]

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