50 Model Y Will Form a Tesla-Only Ride-Hailing Service in NYC

Photos: Revel

Electric moped-sharing startup Revel is adding its first vehicle, Tesla Model Y, to its fleet. The company is launching its own ride-hailing service in New York, using only Tesla vehicles. Fifty (50) Model Ys are due to hit the roads of Manhattan at the end of May.

The company announced Wednesday that it is expanding into the ride-hailing business. The service will launch with an initial fleet of 50 Tesla Model Ys that users will be able to order through the Revel app starting at the end of May this year. Apart from this, it is also building an internal charging network to charge vehicles. For the company, using ride-hailing is the next logical step in its plan to expand its zero-emission transportation options.

"Our mission has always been to electrify cities," Frank Reig, Revel's co-founder and CEO, told Insider." As you think about a company that is trying to create an electric-vehicle ecosystem--electrify every single trip in a city, A to B--rideshare for us was really just a natural next step in that process."

The service will be limited to Manhattan below 42nd Street at first, but Revel expects it will grow. To provide service, all Model Ys will be modified: the front passenger seat will be removed to increase legroom, and a plastic baffle will be installed to separate the driver from passengers, as recommended due to COVID-19 restrictions.


The fleet will be owned by Revel, which sets it apart from Uber and Lyft. As such, Revel will be responsible for all of the costs associated with ride-hailing, including maintenance, cleaning, and charging. Drivers will also be hired by Revel as employees and will have access to training, medical care, and paid vacation.

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