Revel, the electric vehicle (EV) startup known for its ride-hailing service in New York City, has officially ceased operations of its rideshare business to concentrate on expanding its EV charging infrastructure, the company announced. The move marks a strategic pivot from its original model, which began with electric scooter rentals in 2019.
A notice on Revel’s app and website on Monday informed users that the rideshare service has been “permanently closed,” while the company commits to growing its fast charging network with additional sites and cities planned. Currently, Revel operates five charging stations in New York and one in San Francisco.
“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,” Revel co-founder and CEO Frank Reig said in a statement to TechCrunch.
As part of the shutdown, Revel will sell or return the Tesla and Kia vehicles that comprised its fleet. Additionally, the company plans to sell its 165 “for-hire vehicle license plates,” which Reig told Bloomberg could fetch between $20,000 and $25,000 each.
Revel initially launched its charging stations in 2021 alongside its ride-hail service but faced slow adoption in the early years. The company reported that total utilization of its charging network was just 21% in early 2023, with the majority of that usage coming from its own ride-hail fleet. By early 2025, utilization had increased to 45%, with only 12% attributable to Revel’s fleet.
The company received a significant boost in 2024 after entering a partnership with Uber, directing many of Uber’s drivers to use Revel’s chargers. Revel now aims to operate over 400 charging stalls across Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco by the end of 2026.
This shift reflects broader trends in the EV industry, where infrastructure development is increasingly viewed as critical to supporting growing electric vehicle adoption in urban centers.
