By Scott Etkin
Upper West Siders are now likely to see more of Revel’s bright blue Teslas in their neighborhood. Revel, the ride-sharing service that uses only Tesla’s electric cars, has expanded its area of operation to include Manhattan up to 96th Street on the East and West Sides. Previously, its cars did not make stops north of 72nd Street.
An email to customers said that more expansions are “coming soon” and that hours of service are 5:00am to 2:00am.
Revel is unique among the ride-sharing apps for only operating electric vehicles – specifically Tesla’s Model Y – which reduces the company’s carbon emissions. Also, Revel’s drivers are employees of the company – unlike Uber and Lyft, which rely on contract workers. “Revel prides itself on the total rejection of the gig economy,” it says on the company website. For employees, this means “predictable paychecks and schedules” as well as “access to healthcare and other benefits.”
While its blue Teslas are distinctive, Revel is perhaps better known as the company behind the controversial electric mopeds that gained in popularity during the pandemic, but are considered by some to be too dangerous. In 2020, three riders died in crashes and the service was temporarily suspended.
Revel’s combination of electric cars, mopeds and subscription e-bike program (currently there’s a waitlist) is intended to create an all-electric transportation network for cities. Based in Brooklyn and founded in 2018, Revel also operates in D.C., Miami, and the California Bay Area. The Revel app is available for Apple and Android.
Yeah how much?
And how long do I have to wait?
If it’s anything over the yellow cab pricing forget it!
And if I have to wait, forget it!
Taking up parking spots with their motorized billboards in our neighborhoods for free? The real estate the scooters take up is quite enough thanks.
Those blue scooters and bikes take up a lot LESS real estate than the ever-present gas-guzzling SUVs… but it is annoying that Revel users often park them wrong.
Why would they be taking up parking spaces? These are not rental cars. It’s like Uber but with an electric fleet.
More Teslas!
It is just another taxi service. They offer several non-polluting ways to travel around the city. Unlike the privately owned scooters and e-bikes, most revel riders aren’t jerks because there are specific policies to ban riders who ride like jerks. Why all the hatred?
Only about one in 10 Revel scooter riders wears a helmet. They do not obey any red lights, or most traffic laws. The app to report unsafe usage requires a photo and license plate number. Good luck getting that when they don’t stop. And the company never responds to complaints. Maybe they’re not as bad as all the illegal scooters and motorcycles terrorizing the UWS, but if the police just ignore all violations, none of this is safe.
“terrorizing”? in the midst of a hot war, don’t you find that word a bit tone deaf and over the time?
Shrieking is losing its credibility.
That’s not true at all, your fake news!
>Only about one in 10 Revel scooter riders wears a helmet. LIE
They should not be allowed in the Yellow Taxi “Exclusionary Zone”. If at all, they should serve the outer boroughs.
Why are they better than Uber or lift? Are they cheaper? I don’t care what car I drive in as along as I don’t wait and it is cheap. They have to come up to Columbia University on the West side.
That’s what I thought, too. Why stop at 96th Street and exclude the student-rich (and rich student) population around Columbia?
A Car service. Old school car services used to employ the workers.
Not groundbreaking!
It is a nice ride in the Tesla.
I have no objection to another car service, and I like the fact — if it is truly a fact — that Revel treats its employees like employees. But so many questions are not answered in the linked site. As in: how does Revel define “ride-sharing?” Do they tell you in advance what your ride is going to cost or do they surprise you with rush-hour surcharges like Lyft? How do they square rides to 96th Street with a charging hub in Brooklyn? Just curious.
Capitalism!
Just more overpriced TECHNO CASH GRAB! We can’t catch cabs, can’t have a car due to Bicycle Lanes in a Business City, garage fees w/20% tax, no weekend trips, keep us poor and isolated, raise prices due to the Biden inflation and Green 💸🤑 grab Deal. It’s all deliberate.