Lime to Launch "Moped-Share" Service to Compete with Revel

 Lime is set to launch an electric moped-share service that will compete with Revel, the three-year-old company, which dramatically increased in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    On Friday, Lime, which is known for its e-scooters, will distribute 100 vehicles across Brooklyn, Queens, and Lower Manhattan, the company said. “In a matter of weeks,” Lime will expand its New York City fleet of mopeds to 500, and more might be added over the summer. 

    “E-mopeds can serve a vital role in expanding access to affordable, safe, and carbon-free public transportation to more New Yorkers,” Lime CEO Wayne Ting said in a statement.

    Although Revel dramatically expanded its usage in 2020, the company’s fevered rise also correlated with increased safety concerns, which sadly culminated with three fatal crashes in 10 days last summer.

    After the crashes, Revel briefly suspended its services, and then returned in late August with increased safety protocols, including mandatory safety tests and selfies that prove riders are wearing helmets.

   Similarly, Lime’s moped users will have to send in “helmet selfies,” a spokesman said, who added that all moped-riders must be 21 or older.