UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. — Universal Studios Hollywood's world-famous Studio Tour trams are going electric.

What You Need To Know

  • Universal Studios Hollywood has converted four of its 21-Studios Tour tram fleet from diesel-hydraulic engine to electric

  • The conversion is part of Comcast NBCUniversal's carbon-neutral goal

  • The Studio Tour is the Hollywood movies and television theme park's signature attraction, ferrying millions of visitors across Universal's working backlot

  • The conversion to electric was able to happen thanks to a grant from the South Coast Air Quality Management District and investments made by Comcast NBCUniversal and SoCal Edison

As part of Comcast NBCUniversal's carbon-neutral goal, the company has converted four of its 21-tram fleet from diesel-hydraulic to electric. Eventually, all 21 trams will be electric, a Universal Studios Hollywood spokesperson said.

"I am extremely proud of this innovative undertaking and our commitment to creating a zero-emissions Studio Tour fleet in collaboration with our parent company and local partners," said Scott Strobl, executive vice president and general manager at Universal Studios Hollywood, in a news release.

Universal Studios' Studio Tour is the backbone and the Hollywood movie-and-television theme park's signature attraction. 

The 60-minute tour ride ferries passengers across Universal's 400-plus acres of real-life working movie and television backlot. A tour guide points out famous sets from "Psycho," "Back to the Future," "Jaws," and "Fast & Furious — Supercharged."

The tour has been operating since the mid-1960s and worked using a diesel-hydraulic engine. 

The company began the tram conversion process into electric in 2017. 

Thanks to a grant — that replaced older equipment with cleaners ones — from the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and investment from Comcast NBCUniversal and Southern California Edison, the company began converting the old trams into cleaner electric vehicles.

Universal Studios officials did not disclose the cost of their investment.

The company unveiled a working prototype in 2019 and slowly converted some of the older tram vehicles as they continue operating the Studio Tour for guests. 

Universal officials said the tram conversion "represents some of the first-ever and largest battery-powered, off-road, high-torque and low-speed mass people movers in the US."

The conversion of the 21 trams will help reduce carbon emissions and reduce the amount of noise it emits — making the ride a lot quieter, officials said. 

Officials said the new electric trams would routinely charge during the regular operation at the start and end of the attraction route and build up charge when they travel downhill.

"It is truly so exciting to see initiatives like Universal Studios Hollywood's new fleet of electric Studio Tour trams come to fruition — initiatives that show our public and private entities working together to do our part to combat air quality and climate change," said LA Councilmember Nithya Raman, in a news release. "As a new member of the South Coast Air Quality Management Board, I am looking to broaden these types of collaborations and accelerate the positive impacts they will have for our region and world. Our climate crisis demands we do this."