Revel's 1st Car-Charging 'Superhub' Opens In Bed-Stuy

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — Moped-sharing company Revel has officially opened its first "superb" charging station for electric vehicles.

The Flushing Avenue depot, first announced in February, was unveiled Tuesday at the former Pfizer building on the Williamsburg and Bed-Stuy border. The largest universal fast-charging depot in North America, it includes 25 chargers for owners of any electric vehicles.

It adds to only two other publicly-available fast-charging stations for electric vehicles in New York City, both of which are in "further-flung" locations like JFK Airport, according to the company.

“It’s no surprise that [electric vehicle] adoption is lagging in our city — the infrastructure just isn’t here yet, and the stations that do exist aren’t accessible to most New Yorkers,” said Revel CEO and Co-Founder Frank Reig.

Only 14,000 of the nearly 2 million cars and SUVs registered in the city are electric, according to Revel.

“Our Superhubs are designed to reach as many people as possible in the neighborhoods where they actually live. This is what NYC needs to move towards an electric future and we’re excited to get started," Reid said.

The hub is the company's first foray into charging since launching its fleet of mopeds in North Brooklyn in 2018. The ride-sharing app has since expanded in Brooklyn, Queens and, most recently, into Manhattan.

The company plans to open a network of charging stations in New York City.

For the first week the Bed-Stuy site is open, charging will be free to members of the public. The free week will last through Tuesday, July 6.

The facility is outfitted with newly-launched fast chargers made by Tritium. Revel also partnered with MP2 Energy to ensure the chargers are powered by renewable energy sources and with Con Ed through their PowerReady program.