“I was so confused”: Customers find out their ride has been cancelled mid-flight as Revel shuts down blue taxi cab service in NYC

Electric ride share company Revel abruptly shuts down service in New York City, shocking passengers.

Why did Revel shut down?

Revel initially rented out electric scooters in 2019, but made car ride-sharing available to users in 2021 in New York City.

On Monday, users opened the app to find the message, “riding with us the last 4 years!” announcing the permanent end to its ride-share service.

However, Revel isn’t shutting down entirely. Instead, the business pivots once again to focus on installing more electric vehicle charging infrastructure around the country.

“We have made the difficult decision that the best way we can keep the EV transition moving forward is by ending our rideshare service and focusing on building the fast charging infrastructure our biggest cities need to keep going electric,” Revel co-founder and CEO Frank Reig tells TechCrunch.

Revel plans to return its Tesla and Kia cars to their manufacturers.

What did users think of the abrupt shutdown?

Frequent Revel users react to the abrupt closure on TikTok, lamenting that they’ll need to turn to other ride-share companies like Uber and Lyft.

One TikToker says she found out that the ride-share service was no longer in operation mid-flight to New York City.

“Wait did Revel go outta business while we were flying?” she asks. The caption continues, “Right as i was turning my phone off… how we getting back to the city.”

The Daily Dot reached out to the TikToker for further information.

Revel rideshare was previously available for airport pick-ups and drop-offs at major New York City airports like John F. Kennedy International (JFK), LaGuardia (LGA) & Newark Liberty International (EWR).

In the comments, other passengers react to the news.

“Whataaaaytttt??? I loved them in NYC only rideshare I took,” one writes.

“They went out of business the day I landed and opened the app and I was so confused,” another says.

“RIP to my private equity subsidized rideshare trips,” a third jokes.

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