PopWheels tests e-bike batteries to power New York City food carts

Brooklyn-based startup PopWheels is testing a new application for its e-bike battery-swapping network: powering food carts in New York City. The initiative began with a pilot test powering La Chona Mexican, a food cart located in Manhattan. The project started last summer as a casual experiment, according to David Hammer, co-founder and CEO of PopWheels. Last week, the company conducted a demonstration with La Chona Mexican, marking the first time the batteries powered a food cart for a full day.

PopWheels currently operates 30 charging cabinets around Manhattan. These cabinets typically serve gig workers riding Arrow or Whizz e-bike models. Delivery workers typically pay $100 per month for e-bike charging services, and when factoring in battery wear and tear, the total annual cost nears $2,000 per year. In contrast, PopWheels charges $75 per month for unlimited access to its network. Each of the startup’s charging cabinets can hold 16 batteries. PopWheels is now positioning this decentralized battery network as a cleaner, quieter alternative to the gas generators used by food carts. Hammer estimates that food carts spend around $10 a day on gasoline for generators. PopWheels aims to match those economics: four of its batteries can supply 5 kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is enough to cover the low end of a typical cart’s daily power draw.

The startup’s original mission was to address the safety issue of e-bike fires in New York City, designing its cabinets to quickly extinguish battery fires during charging. After building its initial cabinets, PopWheels raised a $2.3 million seed round—an early-stage investment—in 2025. The company’s swap sites are retrofitted with electrical connections to support multiple cabinets, with each cabinet drawing about as much electricity as a Level 2 electric vehicle charger, a standard charging speed. Reflecting on the transition to food carts, Hammer questioned whether e-bike battery packs are the absolute ideal energy source for food carts, but argued that the real challenge lies in solving distribution and charging.

Following a prototype adapter trial during last year’s New York Climate Week, PopWheels has been working with the Street Vendor Project, a nonprofit organization, to scale the initiative. According to Hammer, the company plans to expand the service rapidly. “We are planning to roll this out aggressively starting this summer,” said Hammer.

Why it matters

PopWheels is leveraging its existing urban battery-swapping infrastructure to provide a cleaner, quieter alternative to gas generators for food carts.