Revel Integrates Juice's AI-Powered Face ID Technology into DC Fast Chargers

Revel just added Juice's 'face ID for EVs' to its DC fast chargers

Revel has added Juice's groundbreaking AI and computer vision-powered automatic charging and payments system to its DC fast charging stations in New York City. Computer vision uses AI and machine learning to process visual data to identify objects and then react to what it sees. Sunnyvale, California-based Juice uses computer vision to identify a user's unique EV, initiate charging sessions, and complete payments without needing to interact with physical payment devices or apps. Unlike Plug & Charge or Autocharge, Juice's technology doesn't require OEM integrations to work with different types of EVs. Brooklyn-based Revel asserts that this is the first deployment of this kind of computer vision technology in the US. The new Juice technology is now available on all Revel DC fast chargers and is compatible with all makes and models of EVs. Revel says it will integrate Juice's computer vision technology at future sites opening later this year. Revel has 54 DC fast chargers open to the public across three sites in Brooklyn and Queens and plans to quadruple that network by mid-2025 with new locations, including a mega 60-stall station in Maspeth, Queens, and a 48-stall station outside LaGuardia Airport. Revel is opening its first downtown Manhattan charging station later this year on Pier 36. Because Revel has a charging partnership with Uber, rideshare drivers make up the majority of Revel's public charging activity. "Revel is the perfect fit for our platform, with high usage at all of their charging locations, combined with the sheer size of their expanding network in America's densest city," said James Murfin, CEO & cofounder of Juice. "This partnership demonstrates how EV charging can be as seamless as unlocking your phone with your face. Only experiences that are truly this easy will help the world move to sustainable transport at scale." The company also has seven sites in development across the Bay Area and recently announced its first lease in downtown Los Angeles. You pull up. The charger recognizes your EV the way your iPhone recognizes your face, and once you plug it in, it begins to charge. It takes payment. You unplug. You leave. It doesn't matter which EV you drive. It just works for everyone. If this actually works as it's supposed to, this could change everything about the fast charging experience. Prior to Revel's Juice launch, xCharge launched the first Juice-enabled public charger at their Austin headquarters in August. This company and this technology are definitely one to watch. If you live in an area that has frequent natural disaster events, and are interested in making your home more resilient to power outages, consider going solar and adding a battery storage system. To make sure you find a trusted, reliable solar installer near you that offers competitive pricing, check out EnergySage, a free service that makes it easy for you to go solar. They have hundreds of pre-vetted solar installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions and save 20-30% compared to going it alone. Plus, it's free to use and you won't get sales calls until you select an installer and share your phone number with them.

'Face ID For Your Car': The Latest Fix For Crappy EV Charging

It uses cameras and AI to recognize a driver's EV so they can plug in and pay seamlessly. It's no secret that charging an electric vehicle out in the wild can be a major headache. Drivers often need to juggle several different apps and contend with glitch-prone payment systems. Sometimes, your car will refuse to start charging for no apparent reason. It all makes recharging an EV much more unpredictable than filling up a gas tank. Revel, the Brooklyn-based EV ride-hailing company, is not only looking to become a charging giant across the U.S. but also aiming to smooth out the experience using artificial intelligence. It's partnering up with Juice, a California computer-vision startup that's developed something it's calling "Face ID for vehicles." How can computer vision help make charging less crappy? Here's how Revel explained it in a press release: "Juice uses AI and computer vision to identify a user's unique vehicle, initiate charging sessions and complete payments without needing to interact with physical payment devices, or apps." Basically, you can just pull into a stall and plug in. Juice recognizes your car and takes care of billing on the backend. That's the idea, anyway. And it probably sounds pretty dreamy to any EV owner who has hit snags charging their vehicle, which is most of them. "This partnership demonstrates how EV charging can be as seamless as unlocking your phone with your face. Only experiences that are truly this easy will help the world move to sustainable transport at scale," said James Murfin, CEO and cofounder of Juice, in a statement. To sign up, EV owners need to take photos of their car and add a payment method. Juice's tech is already active at Revel's current charging stations: three locations in New York City with a total of 54 plugs. The company plans to add the tech to future locations opening later this year, too. We're eager to test it out for ourselves and see if it's as seamless as advertised. Revel and the rest of the charging industry are chasing the kind of convenient experience that Tesla has provided to its customers for years. Tesla owners can simply pull up to one of the company's Superchargers, plug in and their car will start charging automatically. Provided they've added a payment method, of course. That kind of hassle-free experience has proved elusive to non-Tesla charging networks, in part because they need to communicate with so many different types of vehicles. Tesla has a lighter lift as far as compatibility is concerned. (That is changing gradually as Tesla opens up its network to new automakers, most recently General Motors.) Plug & Charge and Autocharge are systems that provide that Tesla-like experience to owners of other brands' EVs. But they aren't available for every car. On the other hand, Revel notes, Juice's tech is brand-agnostic and doesn't rely on any integration work from manufacturers. Speeding up charging sessions and ironing out delays makes sense across the board. It makes life easier for everyday EV owners. It increases earning potential for rideshare drivers, like those on Revel's EV-only platform that competes with Uber and Lyft. For a charging provider like Revel, keeping utilization high is everything. "The less time drivers spend at a charging stall, the better it is for them, and the better it is for us," said Paul Suhey, Revel's COO and cofounder, in a press release. "Especially true for rideshare drivers, where every minute at the plug is time they could be on the road earning."