In order to concentrate on electric vehicle charging, Revel is leaving the crowded ride-sharing industry in New York City.
“We have made the difficult decision to permanently close our rideshare service today after four years and countless electric rides,” the firm said in a Monday email to customers.
A notice on Revel’s website states that starting of Monday, the ridesharing service is no longer available. With new locations and cities about to come, Revel will keep expanding our Fast Charging business.
For four years, the firm had provided rideshare services for all EVs in their recognizable brilliant blue Teslas and Kias. Unlike its competitors, Uber and Lyft, its drivers were workers until last year. However, the company switched to a gig-work model and lay off hundreds of workers, including drivers, in June 2024.
In a statement, Revel co-founder and CEO Frank Reig said, “We have made the difficult decision that the best way we can keep the EV transition moving forward is by ending our rideshare service and focusing on building the fast charging infrastructure our biggest cities need to keep going electric.”
Being the first ridesharing business to operate entirely on electricity makes us proud. Many people had their first EV encounter in one of our dazzling blue vehicles. The electrification of ridesharing in New York City was fueled by that spark. From being among the only EVs on the road, Revel cars are now joined by thousands of others.
Before growing, the company, which collaborated with Uber on charging stations in New York, intends to install more in the city, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.
The email said, “We hope you’ll charge up with us if you have an EV.”
Revel has already turned around once. Revel started out as a Bushwick-based electric scooter rental business before leaving that market after two deadly accidents involving its mopeds.
