Maintaining a constant power supply for your mobile kitchen is a requirement not only for cooking but more importantly for storage and refrigeration of your raw produce. For sure, not all of your locations have the convenience of plugging into the grid. That is why we have to make do with portable generators or idling the truck for those places we cannot plug-in. This is the problem that Simply Grid wants to address with their food truck innovation.

The company is targeting the food truck industry in its aim to provide on demand access to grid electricity. In a pilot test program in New York City’s Union Square, self-service, industry standard charging stations or ‘pedestals’ have been erected for vehicles to plug into. All the user needs to do is activate it via a mobile device. This system provides vendors cheaper energy with up to 50% in savings, as well as a sharp reduction in carbon emissions. Metering and billing on an hourly basis is also handled through a cloud-based platform. Up to four trucks can share each pedestal.

Similar programs are also being launched in other food truck cities such as Atlanta and Austin. Watch the video below to see how easy it works and check the company’s website here.