Revel’s signature blue Teslas won’t be picking up riders in New York City anymore. As of August 11, 2025, the company has officially shut down its rideshare service to focus entirely on building out electric vehicle charging infrastructure in major cities.
What is Revel? A side Note
Revel is a New York based mobility company that started in 2018 with shared electric mopeds. Over time, they expanded into two main areas:
- Rideshare: In NYC, they operated a fleet of blue Tesla Model Ys and Model 3s with their own drivers.
- EV Charging InfrastructureL Public fast-charging “Superhub” stations in dense urban areas, designed for both fleet and consumer use.
They shut down mopeds in 2023 and, as of August 2025, have also shut down rideshare to focus entirely on building out EV charging networks in major U.S. cities.
What’s Happening To Revel New York City Ride Share?
Revel confirmed the decision this morning, framing it as a strategic pivot. Instead of operating both rides and chargers, the company will put all its energy into expanding its public fast-charging network.
Right now, Revel runs about 100 chargers across five hubs in NYC and one in San Francisco. Another 100 stalls are already under construction, and their long-term target is 2,000 stalls by 2030. If you relied on their app for rides, that ends today, but the charging stations are here to stay and will keep multiplying.
Why the Revel Shift Towards EV Charging Makes Sense
Urban charging is still a massive bottleneck for EV adoption, especially for people without a home driveway or garage. NYC’s “Green Rides” policy is pushing all ride-hail trips to go electric by 2030, and without enough chargers, that’s a non-starter. Revel’s pivot means they can focus on being part of that solution instead of competing head-to-head with Uber and Lyft.
“We’ve always believed the future of city transportation runs on electric; but that future only works if charging is as easy as finding a gas station. That’s where we’re putting all our focus now,” said Frank Reig, Revel’s CEO.
Interestingly, Bloomberg reports that Uber is now considered a partner in Revel’s charging business rather than a competitor in rideshare. That could signal a bigger trend, fleets working together on infrastructure instead of fighting over passengers.
The Buildout Plan
- NYC: Revel has financing in place to triple its local network, with new sites planned at JFK, LaGuardia, Maspeth, Brooklyn, and the Bronx.
- SF Bay Area: They’ve opened their first San Francisco hub in the Mission District, with more sites coming.
- Airports & High-Demand Zones: Focus areas are spots where ride-hail drivers, delivery fleets, and commuters fight for charging access.
This isn’t a new direction for Revel, they already phased out their shared moped business in 2023 to focus on cars and chargers. Dropping rideshare is simply the next step in that evolution.
What It Means for Revel Drivers and Riders
- For riders: One less option for getting across town, but not a huge shake-up if you mainly use Uber or Lyft.
- For EV owners: More fast chargers in dense urban areas, which should reduce wait times over the next couple of years.
- For rideshare drivers: Potentially shorter charging lines as new hubs come online, especially near airports and commercial zones.
Revel’s move shows where the industry is heading: the real prize isn’t moving people; it’s keeping electric vehicles powered up. If they hit their buildout targets, they could become one of the most important names in urban EV charging, even without a single rideshare trip on the books.
