Cities are packed with electric vehicles, but still, charging is a big headache for a lot of car owners in the city. Apart from the residents of the city, electric car owners who live in the suburbs can easily and conveniently charge their vehicles overnight in their garages. But Revel is the answer. The New York-based company wants city charging to become a no-brainer and as quick as going out for a cup of coffee at 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: to 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.
Such a situation puts drivers in a tough cycle where they are stuck: if there are not enough chargers, people will be hesitant to buy electric vehicles, and on the other hand, if there are not enough cars, then it makes little sense to provide more chargers. The lack of easy access to fast charging is one of the major reasons that the transition to electric is very difficult for rideshare drivers who use their cars intensively. They face a shortage of fast and convenient charging facilities, which makes going electric extremely hard for them.
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.
Most networks mainly focus on servicing highways and suburbs, whereas Revel specifically aims at city neighborhoods. As a result of the great density of the traffic in the areas surrounding the stations, which are close to transit centers and local amenities, drivers who are used to the streets and those who have taken the metro find the stations very convenient for them.
Expansion to the West Coast: San Francisco and Beyond
After putting up the city’s highest public charging network, YC, with over one hundred quick chargers and planning to reach three hundred by 2025, Revel is moving to the West Coast. In March 2025, San Francisco’s Mayor Daniel Lurie introduced Revel’s initial Bay Area charging center in the Mission District, where a group of twelve ultra-fast chargers could be used anytime without any restriction.
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 expansion is fueled both by private and public investments. So far, the company has raised $274 million, with financing rounds led by BlackRock and NY Green Bank. Toyota Ventures is also one of the shareholders, and under a multi-year agreement, owners of Toyota and Lexus EVs in New York get free charging at Revel locations.
However, the impact of the partnership with Uber may still be larger. As Uber is aiming to convert its entire rideshare fleet to electric by 2030, Revel charging stations are integral to that plan. The deal makes the Revel locations financially viable while at the same time helping Uber’s drivers make the transition to electric by allowing them to achieve high utilization.
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.
