The company will move its 1,000 drivers, who are currently full employees with hourly wages and benefits, to a contractor model with earnings based on fares this September, according to an email sent to employees by Vice President of Rideshare Operations Keith Williams and reviewed by amNewYork Metro. The news was
“This is really in response to driver feedback,” said the spokesperson, Robert Familiar. “Flexibility is really the number one thing that drivers want.” The startup is going to start allowing drivers to rent one of its distinct blue Teslas for $10 an hour; workers currently are provided with one of the vehicles.
Revel first made a name for itself in New York with an electric moped-sharing service. But ridership was on the decline ahead of the company’s decision last year toand focus its energy on its fully electric rideshare service, as well as its plans to build out EV charging infrastructure all over the city. The company has dozens of EV chargers in New York and plans to build 500 new charging ports across the five boroughs in the coming years.