New York City's vibrant food cart scene, a beloved staple dispensing everything from dosa to doner kebabs, has long faced a persistent challenge: the noisy, fume-emitting gas generators that power their operations. These generators not only detract from the culinary experience but also contribute to urban pollution. However, a Brooklyn-based startup, PopWheels, is pioneering a cleaner, quieter solution by adapting its existing e-bike battery swapping network to power these mobile eateries.
The initiative began as an experimental "lark" last summer, according to David Hammer, co-founder and CEO of PopWheels. He likened it to a "classic, old-school 20% project" from his early days at Google. Initially, PopWheels' battery packs were designed for food delivery workers, providing a crucial charging infrastructure for e-bikes across the city. The team soon recognized the potential to extend this network beyond two-wheelers.
Hammer acknowledges that e-bike battery packs might not be the "perfect energy type" for food carts, but emphasizes that the critical factor is solving the challenges of "distribution and charging." PopWheels currently operates 30 charging cabinets throughout Manhattan, primarily serving gig workers using e-bikes like Arrow or Whizz models. This decentralized fleet model allows the company to efficiently manage a few battery types for hundreds of customers.
For e-bike delivery workers, the service offers significant economic advantages. Many travel long distances into Manhattan, often requiring two batteries to complete a full day. Traditional charging methods, such as bodega services, can cost workers around $100 per month, pushing annual expenses close to $2,000 when factoring in battery wear. PopWheels, conversely, charges customers $75 per month for unlimited access to its network, saving them money from the outset and resulting in a long waitlist for their service.
Beyond convenience, PopWheels' infrastructure is designed with safety in mind. Each charging cabinet can hold 16 batteries and is engineered to swiftly extinguish any battery fires, a founding mission for the company given the significant problem of e-bike fires in New York City a few years ago. After building its initial cabinets, the company successfully raised a $2.3 million seed round last year.
The idea to power food carts emerged after Hammer encountered an article detailing New York City's efforts to decarbonize its street vendors. The PopWheels team crunched the numbers, estimating that food carts typically spend about $10 a day on gas for generators (excluding propane for cooking). Conveniently, four PopWheels batteries can deliver approximately five kilowatt-hours of electricity, sufficient for a typical cart's lower power demands. For carts needing more power, midday battery swaps are readily available at their stations.
After validating the concept, PopWheels developed a prototype adapter and conducted an initial trial at a small event during last year's New York Climate Week at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. The startup has since collaborated with the non-profit Street Vendor Project to advance the initiative. A recent full-day demonstration with La Chona Mexican, located at 30th and Broadway in Manhattan, marked the first time the batteries successfully powered a food cart for an entire day.
The immediate impact was palpable. "I had multiple food cart owners come up to me and say, 'Wait, there's no noise with this cart. What are you guys doing? Can I get this?'" Hammer recounted. The company is now gearing up for an "aggressive rollout" starting this summer, aiming to be cost-neutral with gasoline for food cart owners while simultaneously resolving critical quality-of-life issues related to noise and fumes.
