By Brianne Hogan / Source: Ecorazzi

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Street food in New York is about to get a whole lot healthier and greener, thanks to the 500 eco-friendly food carts which will soon roll out into the city.

The carts are part of a pilot program to help vendors prepare cleaner food and reduce air pollution. Maybe that giant pretzel won’t get be any healthier, but at least the way it’s prepared will be.

The program is being launched by the city and MOVE Systems, a local startup aimed at providing alternative energy sources for mobile food businesses. The carts — called the MRV100 Hybrid — will be decked out with solar power, rechargeable batteries, and alternative fuel. They stand at ten-foot-high, five-by-eight-foot, and pretty much look like something straight out of the future.

Unfortunately, with over 6000 food vendors in the city, the demand will be high for the limited number of eco-friendly carts. The city says it’s reserving 100 of the carts for veterans and disabled vendors. But the cool part? The cost of the carts has been covered by donations and private partnerships.

The downside? It’s going to be awhile before these carts are out on the street. The city permits only a limited amount of food vendors per year, and the waiting lists are long. However, there’s already an interest in the new carts, and the hope is that some will be hitting the street sometime after Memorial Day.

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