May 12, 2026
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
Wildwood will use three Volvo electric vehicles this summer to pull tramcars to reduce reliance on decades-old, battery-operated engines that are costly to maintain and repair.
Some of the Wildwood Sightseer Tramcar fleet will be pulled on the boardwalk this summer by Volvo electric vehicles, continuing a gradual shift away from the battery-operated engines that have been used for decades.
The nonprofit Wildwoods Boardwalk Special Improvement District, which has owned and operated the trams for the last 21 years, struck a deal with the Swedish automaker to provide three Volvo EX40 SUVs at not cost. The vehicles will have tow trailers with Volvo advertisements.
“This is something that is aimed at preserving the tramcar experience on the Wildwoods Boardwalk and also modernizing it a little bit so that it really lasts for future generations,” Patrick Rosenello, the nonprofit's executive director, told NBC10.
The three EVs will complement five original battery-powered engines. All of the Sighteer Tramcars will continue to play the familiar, "Watch the tramcar, please" warning message. The attraction, which transports thousands of Wildwood visitors every summer, kicked off its 2026 season over the weekend.
Some of the boardwalk's eight battery-powered engines have been in use since 1949. Their maintenance and replacement costs have risen over the years, leading the operators to consider other options for efficiency and sustainability. The battery-operated trams need to be pulled out of service to be charged, but the fully electric Volvos can hold a charge for a few days.
Last summer, the Wildwoods Boardwalk Special Improvement District tested out a Ford Maverick hybrid truck to pull some of the trams. The truck had a speed restrictor keeping it to a maximum of 5 mph, and the Volvos will not exceed 8 mph.
Rosenello said last summer he did not expect to be able to use fully electric vehicles, but the deal with Volvo came together because of an executive's personal connection to the Wildwood boardwalk.
Wildwood is entering its 78th season operating the boardwalk tramcars, which carry passengers 38 blocks in Wildwood and North Wildwood. They were originally built by Greyhound to be used at the 1939 World's Fair in New York before they were purchased by Wildwood businessman Gilbert Ramagosa, who repurposed them for the boardwalk. The ride initially cost 10 cents for a one-way trip. In December, the Wildwood Historical Society saved a 1963 tramcar engine from a junkyard to be displayed at its museum on Pacific Avenue in the future.
This year, a single ride will cost $5 and a wristband for an unlimited day pass goes for $13. Tickets can be bought on the tramcar with cash only or at kiosks and offices at Cresse Avenue, 16th Avenue and 21st Avenue. The tram typically operates from noon until the boardwalk's amusement piers close.
