NYC’s food trucks enter the 21st century with solar power
The food truck business in the U.S. is booming with the epicentre being New York City, but with this great increase in revenue for food truck owners, so comes the negative impact on the environment. Across New York City, there are approximately 8,000 food trucks that are serving up delicious food on a daily basis, while at the same time majority of them are pumping harmful pollutants into the air.
Officials in New York City are looking to make an impact on this problem by unveiling a pilot program of 500 solar-powered food trucks. Food truck vendors will have the opportunity to lease one of the energy-efficient trucks for five years, at no cost. If the pilot is successful, the initiative could be rolled out across New York and in other food truck popular cities.
The company responsible for these cleaner food trucks is New York technology company, MOVE Systems. The energy-efficient trucks have traded the conventional diesel and propane for a rooftop solar panel and a rechargeable battery pack that provides the truck with heating and electricity. If additional power is required, there is also a generator filled with compressed natural gas. Eventually the truck could run on food waste.
Compared to the generators in traditional trucks, the solar-powered food trucks are expected to cut greenhouse gas pollution by a massive 60%.
Other food trucks across the U.S. are using their initiative and switching to more energy-efficient options. Green Truck is a mobile catering company based in Los Angeles and San Diego and currently have various initiatives to help the environment. Their truck runs on the vegetable oil that they used to cook their food the day before, they have a solar-powered kitchen, and all their packaging and utensils are recyclable or compostable. Chicago is also on the map with the first completely emission free mobile juice bar in the form of Herb-N-Juice.
Food trucks across the U.S. could face a much-needed energy-efficient facelift over the next few years.
