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Revel opens first fast-charging EV station in Manhattan at Pier 36

Credit: Revel

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Revel has opened its first-ever fast-charging electric vehicle station in Manhattan at Pier 36 on the Lower East Side.

This is the first fully public, 24/7 EV charging station in Manhattan, which has been a major challenge for companies and individuals utilizing EVs due to very limited real estate.

Revel developed the site with New York City’s Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC). The site features 10 320 kW chargers made by Kempower.

The big challenge with EV ownership when living in New York City is access to public chargers.

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While Revel, Tesla, and others are operating charging infrastructure in various boroughs like Queens and Brooklyn, Manhattan is so limited on space that those who utilize EVs for personal use or ride-sharing truly struggle for options.

Frank Reig, Revel’s Co-Founder and CEO, said:

“Hundreds of thousands of rideshare and taxi trips go in and out of Manhattan every day. With our new Pier 36 Charging Station, Revel is bringing the fastest charging on the market directly to those drivers so they can access EVs easier — saving them money and saving us all from breathing in more needless car pollution…This is Revel’s first in the borough, but definitely not our last!”

Revel has had this new station at Pier 36 in the works for some time. Last year, they hinted during an interview with me that they were working on something in Manhattan. It’s finally here.

This station brings Revel’s total network to 64 public fast chargers across the five boroughs of New York City. Their plans are to expand rapidly, hoping to have 300 active chargers by the end of 2025.

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The significance of this station being in Manhattan was recognized by several figures:

State Senator Brian Kavanagh:

“The introduction of this first 24/7 public fast charging station in Manhattan represents a pivotal step in our journey toward a zero-emission transportation network. With the busy flow of rideshare and taxi traffic in and out of Manhattan, providing the fastest charging options directly to drivers not only saves them money but also helps us all breathe a little easier by reducing harmful car pollution.”

NYCEDC President and CEO Andrew Kimball:

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“The opening of Revel’s first Manhattan charging station will help New York City become an innovator in accelerating low-carbon alternatives in the transportation sector, spark cutting-edge innovation that will unlock solutions for the global climate crisis, and create new economic opportunity for the city.”

Assemblymember Grace Lee:

“By expanding access to high-speed EV chargers in Lower Manhattan, we are not only promoting green technology but also reducing harmful emissions and improving air quality for our community. This is a crucial investment in the health and well-being of Lower Manhattan, and I look forward to continuing to support initiatives that advance our city’s environmental goals.”

Deputy Mayor for Operations Meera Joshi:

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“New York is charging ahead! If we want to meaningfully reduce emissions, more cars will need to plug, rather than chug.  But modal shifts will only happen once there’s the infrastructure to support it. Along with our 80,000-strong for-hire vehicle fleet’s transition to electric, the first 24/7 charger in Manhattan is a strong indicator of what’s to come. Thanks to Revel, EDC, DOT and all our partners for this Climate Week milestone. In partnership with the private sector, government continues to deliver for New Yorkers.” 

Revel’s expanding number of EV fast chargers will support the evergrowing number of drivers utilizing sustainable powertrains for ride-sharing purposes. The New York City Taxi & Limousine Commission issued approximately 10,000 new licenses for electric-for-hire vehicles in October 2023.

This has brought the share of EV trips to over 10 percent of the total rideshare volume, or approximately 1.5 million rides per month.

I’d love to hear from you! If you have any comments, concerns, or questions, please email me at joey@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @KlenderJoey, or if you have news tips, you can email us at tips@teslarati.com.

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Joey has been a journalist covering electric mobility at TESLARATI since August 2019. In his spare time, Joey is playing golf, watching MMA, or cheering on any of his favorite sports teams, including the Baltimore Ravens and Orioles, Miami Heat, Washington Capitals, and Penn State Nittany Lions. You can get in touch with joey at joey@teslarati.com. He is also on X @KlenderJoey. If you're looking for great Tesla accessories, check out shop.teslarati.com

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Cybertruck

Tesla Cybertruck gets long-awaited safety feature

Tesla has announced the rollout of its innovative anti-dooring protection feature to the Cybertruck via the 2026.8 software update.

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Credit: Tesla Asia | X

Tesla is rolling out a new and long-awaited feature to the Cybertruck all-electric pickup, and it is a safety addition geared toward pedestrian and cyclist safety, as well as accidents with other vehicles.

Tesla has announced the rollout of its innovative anti-dooring protection feature to the Cybertruck via the 2026.8 software update.

This safety enhancement uses the vehicle’s existing cameras to detect approaching cyclists, pedestrians, or vehicles in the blind spot while parked. Upon attempting to open a door, if a hazard is detected, the system activates: the blind spot indicator light flashes, an audible chime sounds, and the door will not open on the initial button press.

Drivers must wait briefly and press the button again to override, providing crucial seconds to avoid an accident.

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The feature, also known as Blind Spot Warning While Parked, comes standard on every new Model 3 and Model Y, and is now extending to the Cybertruck. Leveraging Tesla’s vision-based system without requiring new hardware, it represents a cost-effective software solution that builds on community suggestions dating back to 2018.

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This technology addresses the persistent danger of “dooring,” where a driver opens a car door into the path of a passing cyclist or pedestrian.

Tesla implemented this little-known feature to make its cars even safer

Dooring incidents are alarmingly common in urban environments.

According to Chicago data, in 2011 alone, there were 344 reported dooring crashes, accounting for approximately 20 percent of all bicycle crashes in the city, nearly one incident per day.

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While numbers have fluctuated (dropping to 11 percent in 2014 before rising again), dooring consistently represents 10-20 percent of bike-related crashes in major cities.

A national analysis of emergency department data estimates over 17,000 dooring-related injuries treated in the U.S. over a decade, with many involving fractures, contusions, and head trauma, particularly affecting upper extremities.

By automatically intervening, Tesla’s system not only protects vulnerable road users but also safeguards its owners from potential liability and enhances overall road safety.

As cities promote cycling for sustainable transport, features like this demonstrate how advanced driver assistance and camera systems can evolve beyond highway driving to everyday urban scenarios.

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Enthusiastic responses on social media highlight appreciation for the proactive safety measure, with some calling for broader rollout to older models where hardware permits. Tesla continues to push the boundaries of vehicle safety through over-the-air updates, making its fleet smarter and safer over time.

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Elon Musk

Tesla Roadster is ‘sorcery and magic’ and might be worth the wait, Uber founder says

Perhaps the wait will be worth it, especially according to Uber founder Travis Kalanick, who recently teased the Roadster’s potential capabilities based on what he has heard from internal Tesla sources.

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tesla roadster
Credit: Praveen Joseph/Twitter

Tesla is planning to unveil the Roadster in late April after years of waiting. But the wait might be worth it, according to Travis Kalanick, the founder of Uber, who recently shed some light on his expectations for the all-electric supercar.

We all know the Roadster is supposed to have some serious capability. CEO Elon Musk has said on numerous occasions that the Roadster will be unlike anything else ever produced. It might go from 0-60 MPH in about a second, it might hover, it might have SpaceX cold gas thrusters.

However, the constant delays in the Roadster program and its unveiling event continue to send Tesla fans into confusion because they’re just not sure when, or if, they’ll ever see the finished product.

Perhaps the wait will be worth it, especially according to Uber founder Travis Kalanick, who recently teased the Roadster’s potential capabilities based on what he has heard from internal Tesla sources.

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Kalanick said on X:

Musk has said this vehicle is not going to be geared for safety, and that, “If safety is your number one goal, do not buy the Roadster.”

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There has been so much hype regarding the Roadster that it is hard to believe the company could not come through on some kind of crazy features for the vehicle.

Elon Musk just dropped a huge detail on the Tesla Roadster

However, the latest delay that Tesla put on the unveiling event is definitely eye-opening, especially considering it is the latest in a series of pushbacks the company has put on the vehicle for the past several years.

Tesla has made several jumps in the Roadster project over the past few months, as it has ramped up hiring for the vehicle and also applied for a patent for a new seat design.

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The car has been a back-burner project for Tesla, as it has been focusing primarily on autonomy and the rollout of Robotaxi and Cybercab. Additionally, its other vehicle projects, like the Model 3 and Model Y refreshes, took precedence.

Tesla still plans to unveil the Roadster next month, so we can hope the company can stick to this timeframe.

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Cybertruck

Elon Musk clarifies viral Tesla Cybertruck accident with driver logs

Musk has come out to say that the driver logs have already shown that the driver “disengaged Autopilot four seconds before crashing,” in a post on X.

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Credit: Fox Business | Hilliard Law Firm

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has clarified some details regarding the viral Tesla Cybertruck accident with company driver logs, which show various metrics at the time of an incident.

The logs have been used in the past to pull responsibility off of Tesla when the automaker’s Full Self-Driving (Supervised) or Autopilot platforms are blamed for a collision or accident. It appears this will be no different.

On Tuesday, a video of a Cybertruck crashing into an overpass barrier in August 2025 was shared by Fox Business in a story that reported a woman was suing the automaker for $1 million in a liability and negligence case.

In the suit, Justine Saint Amour said that, “Something terrifying happened, without warning, the vehicle attempted to drive straight off an overpass.” Her attorney, Bob Hilliard, said Amour “tried to take control, but crashed into the barrier and was seriously injured (mostly her shoulder, neck, and back).”

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The Tesla Model Y is leading China’s electric SUV segment by a wide margin

Tesla vehicle crashes are widely popular to report by mainstream media outlets because of the sensationalism of the event. Oftentimes, these outlets will include Tesla in the headline, especially because it will pique the interest of the masses, as most who read the story are waiting to see the claim that Autopilot or Full Self-Driving was the culprit of the accident.

However, Tesla has access to the logs of every vehicle in its fleet, which will show the various metrics, like whether either FSD or Autopilot was active, if the accelerator was pressed, the speed, and other important factors.

Musk has come out to say that the driver logs have already shown that the driver “disengaged Autopilot four seconds before crashing,” in a post on X.

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If the logs do show this, which Tesla will likely have to prove in court, the real question would be why did the Amour disengage the suite?

Tesla’s Full Self-Driving suite is still not fully autonomous, meaning the driver cannot pull attention away from the road and must be ready to take over the vehicle at all times.

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It will be interesting to see how this particular case pans out, especially considering the clip that was released by the law firm starts at about four seconds before the collision. Tesla logs have dispelled media reports in the past that have accused the company’s suite of being responsible for an accident, so there will be some major attention on what is proven in this particular case.

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