Food trucks in the U.S. have taken many forms, but have long been a popular option for dining. Now as the coronavirus pandemic alters the way we interact and engage with others, these kitchens on wheels may have a new function, especially on college campuses.
Rod Keller, CEO of the electric vehicle manufacturer AYRO is jumping at the opportunity to capitalize on the niche industry in a partnership with Gallery Carts. The new collaboration will combine AYRO's expertise in developing electric vehicles with Gallery's expertise in creating food delivery vehicles.
"Colleges are faced with, 'Well how do we provide food and beverage while at the same time, avoiding the mass crowds that you would typically see inside of a cafeteria?'" Keller told Cheddar.
So far, more than $500,000 has been poured into the collaboration as orders for the vehicles continue to amass. Keller said he's confident that as universities and other large campuses seek safer ways to feed their communities amid the pandemic, the need for their services will grow.
AYRO is also banking on buyers in higher education considering the long-term savings electric vehicles can provide. Keller said its electric vehicles save fleet operators at least 50 percent on fuel and energy costs.
"When people are moving cargo from one side of a university to another, or business campus, or hotel and resort, you don't need a full-sized truck with 400 miles of range running on gasoline to do that," Keller said.
Michael Boyd, CEO of aviation consultancy Boyd Group International, joined Cheddar to discuss recent mass flight cancellations by airlines like American and Southwest. Boyd noted that the usually efficient hub and spoke system left American Airlines vulnerable to the weather event in Dallas-Fort Worth and staffing shortages. He also said that while planning trips in the current climate can be unnerving, problems like weather delays are just part of the flying experience.
Christian Kroll, CEO of Ecosia, joins 'Fast Forward' to discuss how Ecosia uses its ad revenue to plant trees, and what the company plans to do after launching a $405 million venture capital fund focused on combating the climate crisis.
Guy Hirsch, USA managing director and head of NFT at eToro, joined Cheddar to discuss the evolution of bitcoin into the mainstream 13 years after the white paper from the presumed pseudonym Satoshi Nakamoto was published. Hirsch said there were several groundbreaking moments for the cryptocurrency, starting with the financial crisis of 2008, noting that people began seeking a solution to protect wealth, and bitcoin "gave people the confidence that it is an immutable ledger that no one can really hack or interfere with."
Visa CFO Vasant Prabhu, joined Cheddar's "Closing Bell" to talk about the financial service company's prediction that a full economic recovery from the pandemic won't happen until summer 2023 based on travel-related sources. Prabhu noted that a big question mark for the recovery is when Asia reopens for travel but "anything's possible" and the recovery could still end up going faster than anticipated.
Clinical research company Medable has secured $304 million in Series D funding, marking its fourth round since 2020, giving the firm a valuation of just over $2 billion. Dr. Michelle Longmire, CEO and Co-founder, Medable joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the future of the company.
House Democrats are scrambling to hold a vote as soon as Tuesday on President Joe Biden's economic agenda — both the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill and the $1.85 trillion social safety net and climate bill. With Biden still overseas, the bill stands in flux. Jennifer Haberkorn, congressional reporter at the Los Angeles Times, joined Cheddar's "Opening Bell" to discuss.
Sportradar, a global sports data company, announced it will serve as UEFA’s exclusive authorized collector and distributor of data for betting purposes. The agreement covers 1,550 matches from the 2021-2022 season through to the end of the 2023-2024 season across all UEFA properties in Europe. Sportradar CEO Carsten Koerl joined Cheddar to provide additional details on the landmark partnership and some insight into the future of sports betting.
