Revel announced it signed a lease giving rights to develop a public fast charging station for electric vehicles (EVs) by LaGuardia Airport (LGA), which will be the largest EV fast charging station of its kind by an airport in the country. Revel entered the lease at 90-10 Ditmars Blvd, Queens, with Barone Management and plans to develop a public fast-charging station there with 48 200kW charging stalls accessible from Ditmars Blvd and 90th St.
The location is directly adjacent to and accessible from the airport’s for-hire vehicle waiting area, making it particularly useful to rideshare drivers transitioning to electric vehicles under New York City’s 2030 electrification mandate, the Green Rides Initiative. Revel’s LGA fast charging station is expected to open to the public in the first half of 2025 and will be the first public fast charging available by the airport.
“Airport rides are critical to any rideshare business, and there’s no way to achieve New York’s 2030 electrification goals without reliable fast charging available to the drivers delivering those trips. Revel’s LGA site, which will be the single largest public fast charging station by any airport in the country, will allow thousands more drivers to electrify,” said Frank Reig, Revel CEO & Co-Founder. “TLC Commissioner David Do has shown extraordinary leadership in requiring the rideshare industry to electrify by 2030 — Revel is fully committed to building the public EV infrastructure to make that future a reality”
“Through its PowerReady incentive program Con Edison is supporting the buildout of a widespread network to bring electric vehicle charging to all New York City area drivers,” said Britt Reichborn-Kjennerud, director, E-Mobility, Con Edison. “We are proud to support Revel’s large new fast-charging station at LaGuardia Airport, which will play an important role in supporting ride hail drivers, who log a disproportionately large number of miles on the road through our communities, and New York City residents transition away from fossil fuels and towards a cleaner energy future.”
“This is precisely the kind of critical infrastructure investment we need to support the ongoing electrification of our fleet and the city as a whole,” said Taxi & Limousine Commissioner David Do. “LaGuardia is one of the largest staging areas for TLC’s hardworking drivers, who travel to and from the airport every day as they connect New Yorkers and visitors to the rest of the world. Now, our drivers will be able to charge up right next to the hold lot. On behalf of Mayor Adams and the TLC, thank you, Frank Reig and Revel, for responding to the Green Rides challenge and for your commitment to a cleaner, more sustainable city.”
“Revel’s groundbreaking commitment to develop a massive EV charging hub just outside LaGuardia Airport is another critical step in helping us achieve our pioneering goal of net-zero emissions across the Port Authority landscape by 2050,” said Port Authority Executive Director Rick Cotton. “The convenience of these 48 public EV chargers will encourage more drivers accessing our airport to go electric, particularly rideshare drivers that are a key piece of making our transportation network cleaner and greener. Together with the Port Authority’s ambitious efforts, including cutting-edge sustainable building design and industry-leading solar projects, we’re tackling the existential threat of climate change head-on across the region.”
Revel currently operates three large public fast charging stations in New York City: 25 chargers in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn; 15 chargers in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn; and 14 chargers in Long Island City, Queens. Revel has an active pipeline to add up to 500 more chargers in New York City and the Bay Area through 2025. Revel sites are open to the public 24/7, have no paywalls to enter or other hidden fees, and are accessible to Teslas and any other model of electric vehicle.
New York City currently has over 10,000 electric rideshare vehicles in operation, a figure that has increased significantly since the City’s Green Rides Initiative went into effect in October 2023. The Initiative requires that by 2030, all rideshare trips from high-volume services be done in either an EV or a wheelchair-accessible vehicle. Since October, Revel has seen a tenfold increase in public utilization of its fast charging stations, now providing over 400 public charging sessions on average daily.
This lease signing comes after Revel and Uber just announced a new multi-year partnership to accelerate EV infrastructure in cities and increase access to fast charging for rideshare drivers. As part of that partnership, Uber committed to guaranteeing utilization at Revel’s existing and future fast charging stations, including the LGA site. The companies intend to expand the model beyond New York to other major cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Boston. Uber rideshare drivers will also be eligible for a discount of up to 25% off charging at Revel’s stations, which will be findable on the Uber Driver app, and Uber will share data with Revel on ride activity to inform future site development.
