Coronavirus: Chatsworth company loans solar trailers to hospitals to power triage during COVID-19 crisis
CHATSWORTH, Calif. (KABC) -- A Chatsworth company is making solar trailers to loan them at no cost to hospitals to help even more patients during the coronavirus pandemic.
BigBattery is loaning the trailers, which are auxiliary-power sources, to local hospitals, for free. This is also keeping their employees working.
"We're sending these power trailers out, these emergency power trailers that are setting emergency COVID-19 triage operations, to power those operations," CEO Eric Lundgren said.
BigBattery is in the business of recycling old electric cars and batteries, while also manufacturing solar trailers.
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In recent weeks, they've set up dozens of those trailers at area hospitals.
The company is also providing N95 masks, which are in high demand for protective gear for the public and first responders.
"Because we have a footprint in China as well, we decided to offer direct-from-the-factory, at-cost masks. We've imported a million and we're going to be importing more," Lundgren said.
The work to get these solar trailers ready, delivered and installed is keeping BigBattery's work force of nearly forty employees fully employed during the pandemic.
"Everybody needs them, and by doing that we're able to keep everybody here rather than at home worrying about their jobs and their paychecks," Edward Bonilla said.
Lundgren said the company has delivered trailers to nine hospitals so far, and a 10th will arrive in about a week. He's hoping to have all of BigBattery's trailers sent out to hospitals in the coming weeks.
