Using electric bicycle battery swap infrastructure to electrify New York's iconic food trucks
Food trucks, a symbol of New York City's streets, are attracting attention for their clever use of the city's infrastructure by using electric bicycle (e-bike) batteries instead of the traditional noisy and smoky diesel generators.
The clever way food trucks are now using e-bike batteries | Electrek
New York City is home to many food trucks, or 'food trucks.' Some food trucks use diesel generators to cook hot dogs, fried chicken, and other foods, and to generate electricity for their equipment and signs. However, some have pointed out that the exhaust fumes and vibrations generated by these generators are a cause of urban pollution.
So Brooklyn-based startup PopWheels is running a pilot program to power food trucks using its city-wide 'battery swap network for electric bicycles.'
PopWheels, originally founded to prevent fires caused by improperly charging electric bicycles, has built a network of fire-resistant battery swap cabinets across Manhattan. At the time of writing, the company also offers a subscription-based battery swap service for couriers using electric bicycles like the Arrow and Whizz. Couriers can swap their bike's battery for a charged one in seconds from the battery swap cabinet.
While many food trucks use propane gas for cooking, they still require electricity to maintain lighting, refrigerators, fans, cash registers, and other systems. While traditional gasoline-powered generators cost around $10 per day to run, four PopWheels batteries (totaling approximately 5 kWh) can adequately meet basic daily electricity needs at a similar cost. Even if power runs out during the day, new batteries can be swapped out in seconds at cabinets located around the city, allowing for energy replenishment, just like refilling gasoline.
In the first large-scale demonstration, conducted at La Chona Mexican, a Mexican food truck in downtown Manhattan, the food truck was successfully operated for an entire day using only the replaceable battery.
New York City is seeking ways to decarbonize carts without placing excessive financial burdens on operators, and Electrek, a news site about EVs and rechargeable batteries, praised the PopWheels system, saying, 'The system, which utilizes existing infrastructure, is a very rational solution that achieves both an improved urban environment and convenience.'
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