An autonomous cooling unit 310 for a vehicle is provided. The cooling unit includes a housing 316 containing a compressor, a condenser 314, and an evaporator 312, the evaporator configured to cool ambient air. A power module 318 is located within the housing and configured to supply electrical power to each of the compressor, the condenser, and the evaporator. A mounting system 322 is configured to removably mount the housing on a vehicle.