Revel, a New York City-based ridesharing company, will launch its fleet of Tesla Model Y taxis in the Big Apple in early August after a mix-up with NYC’s regulatory agency, the Taxi and Limousine Commission (TLC).
The approval and soon-to-be-launched fleet of Model Y taxis will hit New York City streets on August 2nd, according to Revel executives.
In mid-June, it was reported by several news media outlets that the NYC TLC had successfully blocked the inclusion of Revel’s Tesla Model Y taxis citing a stoppage on issuing new-for-hire taxi licenses for electric cars. However, the story was blown widely out of proportion through what TLC Spokesperson Allan Fromberg called, “a giant game of telephone.” In reality, the City placed a capacity limitation on the number of approved taxi licenses in 2018, halting the issuance of new taxi licenses for all vehicles, not just electric ones.
Tesla Model 3 wins hearts as famed NYC Taxi, picks up where Nissan Leaf couldn’t
Cries of conspiracy floated through the EV community, failing to accept the unfortunate verdict that was placed upon Revel’s all-electric, sustainable fleet of taxi cabs donning the notorious Tesla “T.” However, the TLC has granted Revel 49 licenses, according to Fromberg, covering all but one vehicle in the company’s Model Y fleet.
Of the 49, fifteen have been inspected and approved for operation as early as next week. The New York Daily News, who initially covered the story, said 35 others will roll out when they are inspected and approved for ride-hailing services. The fleet will operate south of 42nd St. in Manhattan, stretching down to the tip of the island. Revel told Teslarati that it will consider growing into other neighborhoods and boroughs once the company has more of an idea of where the fleet is being utilized most frequently.
The company will also open a Superhub in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn with 25 Level 3 chargers. This will make it the largest universal fast charging depot in the Americas, the company said.
The addition of Revel’s 49 Model Ys broadens New York City’s small fleet of electrified taxis. 120,000 licensed vehicles already navigate through the City’s five boroughs, and there is not room for many more cars. However, the TLC is fully supportive of a transition to electrification, and it expects several agencies to make a more conscious effort toward introducing electric powertrains in the coming years. “The TLC is fully committed to a 100% electrified future, just not at the cost of additional congestion,” Fromberg told Teslarati.
For Revel, it has been a long and drawn-out process. The company’s attempts to gain licenses for its Model Y fleet started in March. After the five-to-one vote that approved the banishment of the EV exemption for taxis, Revel’s already-submitted applications were ultimately approved. A company spokesperson told Tesarati that Revel did not anticipate the approval of the licenses.
Fromberg, who has been the TLC’s Deputy Chief of Public Relations for several years, said that the agency was legally required to review and process Revel’s applications because they were submitted prior to June 25th, three days after the vote took place. “Revel applied for a Base License in the late Spring and submitted applications for electric cars ahead of the June 22nd vote. The Yellow Taxi market is rebounding and ridership has increased steadily since the City’s reopening,” Fromberg told us.
Revel CEO Frank Reig said, “The initial response from the public has been overwhelming, and we can’t wait to start serving New Yorkers who care as much about the City’s future as we do. With our all-electric rideshare fleet and fast-charging Superhub network, we’re investing in a zero-carbon transportation future. We’d like to thank Commissioner Jarmoszuk and the TLC for supporting New York City’s climate goals, and working with us to get the city’s first all-electric, all-employee driven fleet on the road.”
Don’t hesitate to contact us with tips! Email us at tips@teslarati.com, or you can email me directly at joey@teslarati.com.
A new Tesla patent that has been granted to the company this week has revealed a potential strategy for solving a major issue that could impact both the Full Self-Driving suite and Optimus.
The patent, which is No. 12,636,684, describes a “Lens Cleaning System,” and was submitted by Tesla in May 2025.
The language in the patent details a lens cleaning system that can dispense fluid and wipe it away with a wiper assembly.
Optimus can see you now… 🤖👁️
The patent for @Tesla_Optimus‘s eye structure just dropped. $TSLA pic.twitter.com/Jac4VhDmKH
— SETI Park (@seti_park) May 26, 2026
This would effectively clean any debris that would potentially impact the visibility of the cameras on Tesla automobiles or Optimus’s camera eyes. Perhaps the most pertinent example is through the Full Self-Driving suite, as debris that can accumulate on the vehicle’s exterior cameras can impact the suite’s ability to operate effectively.
This requires a remedy through manual cleaning, but this patent hints that Tesla could be planning to implement this new technology on its upcoming vehicles.
Interestingly, we have started to see it on some Robotaxi vehicles, and it will likely be included in the Cybercab, especially as that vehicle will enable full autonomy.
Back in January, the first Model Y Robotaxi units were spotted with camera washers on the side repeaters, as the video below shows fluid squirting and rinsing off any debris that is limiting visibility.
🚨 Tesla looks to have installed Camera Washers on the side repeater cameras on Robotaxis in Austin
pic.twitter.com/xemRtDtlRR— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) January 23, 2026
This hardware patent does bring up an interesting question for those of us who own Teslas with AI4 and have been told that our cars will one day be capable of full autonomy: Will this washer be available as a retrofit on already-built cars?
Perhaps the “Lens Cleaning System” patent is a good look at one way Tesla plans to combat one of the most obvious issues of autonomy that utilizes a camera-based system. For Optimus, it could be less needed as it could be manually cleaned by owners. For cars, it seems like a bigger necessity, especially as autonomy nears and Tesla gets close to launching a feature-complete FSD suite.
SpaceX’s Starlink product has just gotten its latest airline adoptee, and the move marks the successful partnership of three of the “Big Four” U.S. airlines.
American Airlines announced on Tuesday that it would utilize Starlink in more than 500 narrowbody aircraft beginning in the first quarter of 2027. These include the Airbus aircraft in its fleet, including the new A321XLR and A321neo.
With the new partnership with American Airlines, Starlink is now present on three of the largest airlines in the country: American, United, and Southwest.
Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee for stable and reliable internet access
Starlink’s VP of Enterprise Sales, Jason Fritch, said:
“We are proud to bring Starlink on board American Airlines, delivering fast and reliable internet to passengers and crew. Whether traveling for leisure or business, Starlink enables a fully connected experience gate to gate, making every flight smoother and more enjoyable.”
Additionally, American Airlines Chief Customer Officer, Heather Garboden, said:
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want. The addition of Starlink solidifies American as a leading airline in keeping passengers connected in flight.”
Starlink has been on a tear over the past year, as it has continued to be adopted by a wide variety of airlines as a more consistent and reliable way to provide WiFi to its passengers. It has already gained a great reputation among residential users, but its biggest commercial application appears to be how it is being used in the air.
American Airlines will adopt Starlink on more than 500 of its narrowbody aircraft beginning in Q1 2027
“As a premium global airline, we are continuously seeking out world-class partners like Starlink to deliver what our customers need and want,” said American Airlines Chief… pic.twitter.com/XY2wflycc0
— TESLARATI (@Teslarati) May 26, 2026
The only airline of the Big Four not to adopt Starlink thus far is Delta, which chose to opt for the alternative, which is Amazon Leo. CEO Ed Bastian said to Bloomberg that Delta chose Amazon’s product over Starlink’s because “the opportunities, in terms of the improved bandwidth with a much lower price point than what we’ve ever seen from Starlink, will make a big difference.”
Delta will not start installing Amazon Leo until 2028.
“Of course, we expect Starlink will be warning people that we’re going to go with an inferior product,” Bastian said. “But I’m not too worried about partnering with Amazon.”
Tesla Cybertruck’s newest trim level is nearing its first deliveries just a few months after being offered for an incredible deal.
Back in February, Tesla officially launched a new trim of the Cybertruck, the All-Wheel-Drive, starting at just $59,990. It was a lot of truck for the money, especially considering what it offered the Rear-Wheel-Drive variant for last year, which was a total flop.
The $59,990 price that was offered initially was a deal due to its 325-mile range rating, powered tonneau, three bed outlets, Powershare capability, coil springs with adaptive damping for a refined suspension feel, Steer-by-Wire and four-wheel steering, a 6′ x 4′ composite bed, towing capacity of 7,500 pounds, and a powered frunk.
Tesla is now nearing deliveries of this trim, according to watcher Sawyer Merritt, as Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who ordered the vehicle initially:
I can confirm that Tesla has officially started assigning VINs to people who initially ordered the $59,990 Cybertruck Dual-Motor AWD, which means first deliveries should start in the coming weeks!
• 325 mile range
• 7,500 lb towing capacity
• 0-60mph: 4.1s
• Bed with… pic.twitter.com/PQwVYbZf6j— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) May 24, 2026
Earlier this month, we reported on units of the trim being spotted outside Gigafactory Texas by Joe Tegtmeyer.
Tesla Giga Texas buzzing as new Cybertruck appears to enter production
This Cybertruck trim was interesting because it was released basically out of nowhere, priced incredibly well, and gathered many orders in a small amount of time. However, CEO Elon Musk noted just days afterward that the vehicle would only be priced at this bargain level for ten days.
Tesla fans were not happy.
Awful way to treat customers – particularly when they already sent out a marketing email announcing the $59,990 truck…with zero mention of it being a limited-time offer.
— Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) February 24, 2026
However, the issues with the pricing strategy have blown over since the February unveiling event, and now that deliveries are near, Tesla fans are anticipating the truck making its way to their driveways soon.
The truck is currently priced at $69,990, and deliveries for new orders are slated for between August and September 2026.
Tesla patent reveals strategy for solving major Full Self-Driving, Optimus issue
SpaceX Starlink gets its latest airline adoptee, grabbing three of the ‘Big Four’
