Revel shuts down its ride-hail business to focus on EV charging

Revel, the company that began as an electric scooter rental service in 2019 and later expanded into ride-hailing in New York City, has officially shut down its ride-hail business to concentrate on its electric vehicle (EV) charging operations. The company currently operates five charging stations in New York and one in San Francisco and plans to expand rapidly, aiming to have over 400 charging stalls across Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco by the end of 2026. Revel’s CEO, Frank Reig, stated that focusing on fast charging infrastructure is the best way to support the EV transition in major cities. The decision follows a period of slow adoption for Revel’s charging network, which had only 21% utilization in early 2023, with most charging coming from Revel’s own fleet. By early 2025, utilization had increased to 45%, with a smaller portion attributed to the company’s vehicles. Revel also plans to sell or return its fleet of Tesla and Kia vehicles