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PW-IA Inverter Adapter

NYC Pilot

Popwheels · clean cart power

A battery inverter-adapter that turns Popwheels swappable batteries into silent, emissions-free power for NYC street-food carts, piloted by the city in place of gas generators.

The PW-IA unit with its door open and swappable batteries on top, beside a food cart

Section A-A, The product

Silent power for street-food carts

The PW-IA (Power-Based Inverter Adapter) turns Popwheels swappable batteries into clean, silent AC power for New York City street-food carts, replacing the gas generators vendors normally run all day.

A New York City street-food vendor smiling from his cart window

Section B-B, Why it exists

Replacing the gas generator

Thousands of NYC food carts run on loud, fume-producing gasoline generators. The city wanted a quiet, emissions-free alternative a vendor could swap in as easily as a fresh battery, without changing how they work.

PW-IA internals during assembly, with inverter and red wiring exposed

Section C-C, Engineering

Three generations of hardware

I led the multidisciplinary hardware engineering across three product generations of the PW-IA, integrating the inverter, battery interface, wiring, and thermal management into one serviceable unit.

Sheet-metal parts and wiring laid out on a workbench

Section D-D, Fabrication

Enclosure and integration

The system is built into a custom sheet-metal enclosure with an internal wiring harness, cooling, and the battery-adapter interface, designed to survive daily outdoor cart use and quick hand-swapping.

A food cart running from a PW-IA unit in front of the Unisphere at Flushing Meadows

Section E-E, In the field

Deployed in Flushing Meadows

The PW-IA was deployed on working vendor carts at Flushing Meadows Corona Park, powering a full day of service from swappable batteries instead of a generator.

The pilot launch team holding a Popwheels battery at Flushing Meadows

Section F-F, Recognition

A city-backed pilot

The program secured over 200,000 dollars in development grants from NYC MOCEJ and NENY, and launched as an official city pilot covered by local and city press.