After tangling with the city’s Taxi and Limousine Commission over whether it’ll allow new taxis on the road, the company Revel has approval to launch a new, electric taxi service. Revel is best known for its bright blue moped share program. It's now moving forward with a fleet of 50 bright blue Tesla taxis next month.
The city had capped new taxis from entering the once over saturated market, but it will honor an exemption for electric vehicles for Revel, after initially trying to close that loophole. To start, Revel will only pick up and drop off riders in Manhattan, below 42nd Street.
Unlike its rivals, Uber and Lyft, Revel’s drivers are full employees who receive minimum wage and benefits. Revel has agreed to install charging stations around the city that are open to the public.
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