Moped rental company Revel has the green light to launch an app-based car service in New York for its blue-hued fleet — despite a city policy that

NYC approves Revel’s fleet of Tesla taxis, bringing new competition to apps

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2021-07-26 18:30:05

Moped rental company Revel has the green light to launch an app-based car service in New York for its blue-hued fleet — despite a city policy that tried to nip it in the bud.

Revel executives said they plan to launch the service Aug. 2 with 50 baby blue Tesla Model Y SUVs. They’ll offer rides only south of 42nd St. in Manhattan, prime turf for the city’s ailing yellow taxi hacks.

Mayor de Blasio in 2018 capped the number of app-based, for-hire vehicles allowed to operate in the city — but exempted battery electric and wheelchair-accessible vehicles. When Revel in April announced plans to use the electric exemption to launch a car service, the city Taxi and Limousine Commission in June voted to yank the exemption.

“The TLC voted to close a loophole and stop the proliferation of new cars from further flooding an already oversaturated market,” said TLC spokesman Allan Fromberg. “There are approximately 120,000 TLC licensed vehicles in NYC, taxi and for-hire vehicles combined, and the TLC continues to encourage as many of those vehicles to convert to battery electric vehicles as possible.”

The Daily News spotted several of the shiny blue cars at Revel’s facility in Red Hook, Brooklyn. Revel executives said they’ve so far received 49 TLC-approved license plates for their 50 cars — and 15 of them have been inspected and are allowed to hit the streets next week. Revel honchos said the other 35 will roll out as they are inspected and approved.