UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif.—Universal Production Services has inked a deal with Hollywood Trucks Technologies, Inc. to deploy a fleet of solar-powered, off-grid Ecoluxe brand trailers across its studio operations.
Universal Production Services, which is a unit of NBCUniversal, provides high-quality production services and stage facilities across the US, UK, and Europe for all feature, television, commercial and streaming productions.
It said that this initiative represents a major step forward in sustainable production infrastructure by introducing what they are billing as the world's first mobile solar vehicle system designed to directly support and integrate with studio grid power infrastructure.
The Ecoluxe offers luxury amenities including Starlink WiFi and universal onboard EV chargers while generating additional electricity to support basecamp operations.
The new Ecoluxe solar trailers by Hollywood Truck available exclusively from Universal Production Services, come in 1, 2, and 3 room layouts as well as wardrobe, hair and make-up, and restroom models.
All configurations rent at the competitive market rate while also reducing the cost for additional EV chargers, WiFi, and diesel generator rentals lowering overall production expense, GHG emissions, and noise pollution.
The Ecoluxe® trailers have already supported television, features, commercials, and special events including Universal Television's Hacks and Dig.
"We always look for ways to make our productions more sustainable," said Morgan Sackett, Executive Producer of Hacks and Dig. "With the Ecoluxe trailers, we got easy-to-use, quiet, premium trailers that sustainably powered themselves and the cast was happy to be part of making a difference."
Under the agreement, Hollywood Trucks will design, manufacture, and deliver a new fleet of advanced solar trailers capable of generating, storing, and distributing clean energy on-site. These Ecoluxe brand trailers will enable film and television productions to operate with significantly reduced reliance on traditional diesel generators, lowering emissions while enhancing operational flexibility.
The solar trailers are engineered to function entirely off-grid while also providing supplemental power to existing infrastructure, creating an autonomous hybrid energy system that enhances grid reliability and reduces environmental impact. Hollywood Trucks has been a pioneer in the clean transportation field for over 10 years. It launched the first, patented solar thermal trailers in 2015 and mobile, "off-grid" basecamps in 2016.
"The Hollywood Trucks Ecoluxe solar trailers are a significant leap forward in production technology innovation," said Craig Lewis, Vice President, Market Development for Universal Production Services. "As soon as an Ecoluxe solar trailer arrives at basecamp, it's fully operational. No diesel generator is needed. No delay in setup. It immediately supports HVAC, WiFi, and premium onboard amenities, while also powering electric vehicle (EV) charging, electric golf carts or tools, all simultaneously. We are looking forward to a future where these trailers not only power a basecamp, but a sound stage as well through their "vehicle-to-grid" interfaces."
The new line of Ecoluxe and Ecoluxe Air brand trailers are the first trailers to feature "vehicle-to-grid" applications, which can export additional power to the infrastructure grid, in addition to powerful solar arrays and lithium batteries.
The 53-foot Ecoluxe® trailers, paired with electric semis, generate over 1.2 MWh of battery storage and 18 kW of solar power. The smaller 40-foot Ecoluxe® trailers offers 70 kWh of battery storage and 6 kW of solar each. The trailers also feature universal onboard EV chargers, Starlink WiFi, and luxury amenities.
Each unit is controlled through the Aurora dashboard allowing for extensive eco-data reporting and over-the-air operational control of the vehicle. The Ecoluxe® solar trailers come in 1, 2, and 3 room layouts as well as wardrobe, hair and make-up, and restroom models.
The first wave of solar trailer deployments has begun at the Universal Studios Lot in Los Angeles, Calif. The deployment will span multiple Universal Production Services locations, supporting sound stages, backlots, and remote production environments.
