Revel to expand charging infrastructure at JFK airport

Charge point operator Revel and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are cooperating to install 24 fast charging stations at John F. Kennedy International Airport. The chargers will be available to customers for public and rental services by early 2025.

The 24 new fast chargers will be erected at JFK’s For-Hire Vehicle Hold Lot 1 and expand the airport’s electric vehicle charging capacity, bringing the total of publicly accessible fast charging ports at JFK airport to 46. Technical information about the chargers is still scarce, but this initiative is thus set to push forward the Port Authority’s ambitious goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.

According to Revel, more chargers at JFK airport will result in shorter wait times and less traffic while offering more zero-emission pick-ups and drop-offs. As part of its net-zero roadmap, the Port Authority has plans to construct charging infrastructure for electric airside vehicles such as baggage tractors and aeroplane tows. At the same time, it wants to convert 50 per cent of its light-duty fleet to electric by 2028.

The aviation industry has 280 charging ports for ground service vehicles, which helps reduce at least 16,300 tons of carbon emissions each year. The Port Authority is also working to meet the needs of for-hire-vehicle drivers. The Port Authority Chairman, Kevin O’Toole, explains: “We want to support the shift to clean energy at our facilities, and that includes partnering with companies like Revel to make sure electric vehicle charging infrastructure is available, accessible and convenient for everyone.”

Revel operates an electric rideshare platform, and the co-founder and CEO of Revel, Frank Reig, says: “It’s impossible to electrify rideshare without an abundance of charging near the airports.” He added: “In partnering with the Port Authority at JFK, Revel has now cemented plans for the largest public fast charging stations at both of New York’s home turf airports.”

Installing the 24 fast chargers marks the second partnership between the Port Authority and the charge point operator. Though Revel offers ridesharing services, the company has recently focused on expanding its EV infrastructure business. In the summer, Revel opened its public fast-charging hub featuring 10 Kempower Satellite chargers in Lower Manhattan, New York. The charge point operator is also working to deploy 48 fast charging ports close to LaGuardia Airport at 90-10 Ditmars Boulevard. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey writes that charging ports will launch in late 2025 as “the largest public fast-charging station near an airport in the nation.”

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