Electric mobile carts are being used at New Mexico schools to get food to students during breakfast and lunch.

Farmington and Piedra Vista high schools are among those utilizing the electrical food carts.

“With the increased enrollment our lunch lines were getting a little bit longer, and we needed — another option for students to come and get various snacks,” Kelly Thur, principal of Piedra Vista High School, told KOB 4 recently.

The carts are used to help feed 1,600 students, who are now accustomed to the new way of getting food.

“The first few days it was curiosity more than anything, ‘what is it?’ ‘Can we drive it?’ That kind of thing,” Marie Johnson, Farmington’s student nutrition coordinator, told KOB 4. “But they have embraced its part of the school now.”

The cart can be stocked with burritos, chips and assorted drinks to give the students options. They also like the convenience it provides.

“You have students that really enjoy being outdoors and don’t want to take the time to go in and go through the service areas, so my thought was having another point of service outside convenient for them,” Johnson said.

Tenth-grader Owen Jones shares the sentiment. 

“It’s very convenient because I like to eat outside mostly eat out here, so I don’t have to walk back and forth in and out,” he said.

The cart is also cost-effective.

“It’s, of course, better for the environment and cheaper to operate, not having to have fuel made it a lot more conducive for a high school campus,” Johnson said.