Electrification Success Story: Bandwagon Sandwich Co.
Bandwagon Sandwich Co. is a family-owned mobile hot deli serving up delicious sandwiches inspired by their love of music. Since opening the food truck in 2022, co-owner Jerry, has relied on batteries and solar panels to power the truck and deliver delicious foods to his customers, quietly!
Why Jerry loves his electrified truck
​When asked about his set up, Jerry was adamant: “I feel like battery power is the only real way to go now. The only drawback is that no matter what you buy, in a few years it's going to be smaller and cheaper.”
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Jerry says that he never has to lift anything or fill anything - he just shows up and has power. "To me, having started this way, watching people lug a 500 lb. gas generator out and start it like a lawnmower looks archaic."
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Jerry decided to use batteries instead of a generator to run a less noisy operation and to avoid the hassle of buying gas and refueling constantly. But since then, Jerry's received plenty of unexpected benefits. For example, Jerry and his team can keep their refrigerators powered and their food cold while on the move. So, Jerry can buy and prep food before driving to far away event locations - like in Steamboat Springs.
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The batteries have also helped him get additional business
"​I've gotten a couple of jobs just because it’s quiet, it's more convenient, you know, when we do weddings and stuff we can be quiet in the background. Then when they're ready to party we're ready to go."​
The Set Up
Bandwagon runs on a trailer with a 2000Wh battery with a built in inverter (Bluetti AC200P --pictured on the left). Their pick up truck has a 7200Wh battery (EcoFlow Delta Pro Ultra) - it's two pieces, a battery and an inverter. Bandwagon also has two 210Wh solar panels mounted to the truck and a free standing panel, so that they can always charge whichever battery they aren't currently using.
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The batteries and solar panels provide more than enough energy for Bandwagon's four refrigerators, lights, electronics, heater, and water line heat coil system - even when he's working 15 hour days.
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​Both of Bandwagon's systems are touch screen so he can consistently see how much power he's using, and how long his power will last (EcoFlow touch screen pictured below).
Jerry's recommendations
"For me the benefits have far outweighed the setbacks."
According to Jerry, choosing which battery to buy took a lot of research. "It was a lot of digging. I started on Amazon and just kind of went from there." Jerry recommends trying out the "view in your room" feature on Amazon, which allowed him to use his phone camera to see his space with the battery in it to ensure it would fit.
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Jerry appreciates that his EcoFlow battery has an adapter, so it can be charged at electric vehicle charging stations. "That’s cool for long distance; for an out of town event if you are using a lot of power, it’s nice to be able to stop and charge it in 3 hours."
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When Jerry first started, he only had the 2000Wh battery. There were a few 100 degree days when he came close to running out of power because it required twice as much energy to keep his fridges running as compared to a cool day. As a result, Jerry recommends people get a little bit more power than they think they need, just in case.
