Photo: NY Daily News
In 2018, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio limited the amount of app-based vehicles which were allowed on New York’s streets, before exempting electric vehicles (EVs) and wheelchair-accessible vehicles.
However, after Revel attempted to launch an EV taxi service in April, the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC) ended the exemption, casting Revel’s Tesla Model Y taxi fate into murky water.
Now, following the earlier release of a petition supporting Revel, the city has granted Revel a green light to move forward, and the company plans to launch its Tesla Model Y taxi fleet in New York City on August 2, according to NY Daily News.
Revel’s initial launch will include a fleet of 50 Tesla Model Y units, all blue, and currently only to serve to the south of Manhattan’s 42nd Street for the time being.
Revel to Launch Fleet of 50 Teslas for Ride-Share Service in NYC https://t.co/S5hxhnBiZt
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) April 28, 2021
While the TLC originally said it removed the congestion in order to free up traffic on New York City’s streets, Revel CEO Frank Reig emphasized the need for swift action against climate change – which zero-emission vehicles help to deliver on.
Reig said, “We want to reconcile their concerns about more cars on the road.” Reig continued, “There’s a very critical and immediate need to accelerate electric vehicle adoption in this city. It’s not going to happen if we don’t communicate and we don’t work together.”
