In a significant move towards sustainability, Hallie Dantzler’s Hal’s Coffee truck has eliminated gas generators in favor of clean-running battery packs, thanks to an 80% grant from the Regional Air Quality Council (RAQC).
This transition not only improves the environment but also enhances the customer experience at the coffee truck, leaving behind the unpleasant sounds and smells typically associated with gasoline generators.
Dantzler shared her excitement about the positive changes. With the switch, she has saved herself the hassle of spending hundreds of dollars daily fueling gas canisters, sparing her from the need to scrub oil from her hands at day’s end. She now hugs her toddler free from the residue of gasoline, knowing that her business is making a positive impact on the environment.
“So knowing that we’re making the world a little bit better for him, and that he’s just growing up in a safer place, is so nice,” she said, emphasizing the personal stakes involved in her decision.
The RAQC recently celebrated the conversion of food trucks like Hal’s Coffee at an Earth Day event titled “Engines Off.” The event took place in a parking lot at West Fifth Avenue and Santa Fe Drive, highlighting the transition to cleaner food service vehicles.
Courses of action taken by the RAQC are aimed at reducing emissions in response to the six northern Front Range counties currently facing severe violations of EPA ozone limits. These conversions benefit the environment, with Dantzler’s operation alone estimated to eliminate up to 165 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per shift. This amount is equivalent to the carbon emissions from burning 83 pounds of coal.
The grant fund was launched in 2024 and has sufficient resources to support around 120 food truck conversion projects in total. However, implementing these energy-efficient changes can be costly, with expenses ranging from a few thousand dollars to as much as $30,000 based on the food truck’s equipment needs.
Currently, RAQC covers 80% of conversion costs up to a $20,000 limit for approved projects. As local officials focus on
image source from：https://coloradosun.com/2025/04/23/food-trucks-ozone-electrification-climate-change/
