Cities are clogged with electric cars, but charging remains one of the biggest hassles for many city drivers. In contrast to suburban EV owners who can charge overnight in their garage, city drivers have to contend with long walks, malfunctioning stations, or intense competition just to find a space. That’s where Revel enters the scene. The Brooklyn business is looking to make charging in major cities as easy and quick as getting coffee on the corner.
Revel’s Origin and Mission
Revel was started in Brooklyn in 2018 by Paul Suhey and Frank Reig with one mission in mind: accelerate the transition to electric vehicles where it is needed most—urban areas. There is an ambitious but simple goal—to establish robust, public fast-charging infrastructure and operate an all-electric fleet of rideshare vehicles to demonstrate that clean transportation can really work in cities.
The Urban Charging Desert: Why Cities Lag Behind
Most of the U.S. charging infrastructure has popped up in suburban neighborhoods where EV ownership is already strong and home charging is easy. Cities like New York and San Francisco tell a different story. With so many people living in apartments or rental housing without private parking, plugging in at home isn’t an option. That makes public charging essential—but in many urban areas, it’s still unreliable or nonexistent.
This puts drivers in a difficult loop: without sufficient chargers, consumers are reluctant to purchase EVs, and without greater numbers of EVs, there is little motive to place chargers. For rideshare motorists, who drive their vehicles hard, the deficiency of convenient rapid charging makes going electric particularly challenging.
Revel’s Dual Approach: Rideshare and Charging Hubs
Revel’s solution was to pair two enterprises: an all-electric fleet of rideshares and a public charging network. Their own drivers provide demand for new charging hubs, guaranteeing they’re used right away—even in areas where EV adoption is still playing catch-up.
But these chargers aren’t only for Revel’s fleet. They’re available to anyone, 24/7, and have super-speed DC chargers (up to 320 kW) compatible with both Tesla’s NACS plug and the more widespread CCS standard. That means if you own a Tesla, Toyota, or Kia, you can recharge in 20 to 30 minutes.
In contrast to most networks that cater to suburbs and highways, Revel targets city neighborhoods. Their stations are developed in heavily trafficked locations close to transit centers and local amenities, and prove to be convenient for both professional drivers and regular inhabitants.
Expansion to the West Coast: San Francisco and Beyond
After building out New York City’s largest public charging network—more than 100 fast chargers, with plans for 300 by the end of 2025—Revel is now heading west. In March 2025, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie unveiled Revel’s first Bay Area hub in the Mission District, equipped with a dozen ultra-fast chargers available around the clock.
That location is only the start. Revel intends to install over 125 chargers in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, and South San Francisco in the coming year. Seven additional Bay Area stations are currently under construction, and Revel has leased its first site in downtown Los Angeles.
Partnerships and Funding: Powering Growth
Revel’s growth is supported by private and public investment. To date, the company has raised $274 million, with leadership rounds from BlackRock and NY Green Bank. Toyota Ventures is also a shareholder, and under a multi-year agreement, New York owners of Toyota and Lexus EVs receive complimentary charging at Revel locations.
Its collaboration with Uber might have an even greater effect. With Uber hoping to electrify its entire rideshare fleet by 2030, Revel’s charging stations are a central component of that vision. By enabling high utilization, the transaction renders Revel’s locations financially viable while assisting Uber’s drivers in making the transition to electric.
Equitable Access and Community Impact
A central tenet of Revel’s mission is ensuring charging isn’t reserved for affluent neighborhoods. Over 80 percent of the company’s proposed New York stations fall in long-underrepresented communities—areas of high pollution, lower incomes, and limited clean transportation opportunities. By targeting these “charging deserts,” Revel isn’t merely constructing infrastructure—it’s offering city dwellers a level playing field to go electric.
The Road Ahead: What’s Next for Urban EV Charging
Revel’s model is already prompting fresh thinking elsewhere in cities. San Francisco is trying out curbside charging, Oakland is pilot-testing new funding models, and additional communities are seeking to make EV charging as ubiquitous and dependable as gas stations were.
As states like New York adopt policies such as the Green Rides Initiative, mandating zero-emission ride-share fleets, demand for equitable charging will only grow. Revel’s combination of ride-share operations, public charging stations, and robust partnerships has led the way in this shift—proving that with the right approach, even the most challenging charging deserts can begin to bloom.
