‘Watch the tram car, please’: Wildwoods boardwalk adding electric Volvo vehicles
May 8, 2026
‘Watch the tram car, please’: Wildwoods boardwalk adding electric Volvo vehicles
Three electric Volvo vehicles will help ease strain on aging tram car engines this summer.
The iconic tram cars on the Wildwoods boardwalk are getting assistance from electric vehicles this summer. NBC10 Jersey Shore Bureau reporter Ted Greenberg explains.
The beloved tram cars on the Wildwoods Boardwalk are getting a modern upgrade just in time for their 78th summer season.
Three new, fully electric Volvo EX-40 vehicles are being added to the fleet, helping to ease the burden on older battery-powered engines — some of which date back decades and have become increasingly difficult and expensive to maintain.
WATCH HERE“It is really a game changer for the tram cars and for the future of the tram cars,” Patrick Rosenello of the Wildwoods Boardwalk Special Improvement District said.
The new vehicles are expected to operate alongside five existing tram cars, shifting daily operations.
“The way we’re set up will be the three Volvos full time out there and five trams,” said Ken Douglass, the tram car maintenance manager.
The upgrade is designed to preserve the iconic boardwalk experience while bringing it into the future.
“This is something that is aimed at preserving the tram car experience on the Wildwoods Boardwalk and also modernizing it a little bit so that it really lasts for future generations,” Rosenello said.
The electric vehicles are also expected to be more efficient. Officials say they can run for a couple of days before needing a charge, compared to the older batteries that last about half a day. Those older batteries weigh more than 2,000 pounds and must be removed to be plugged in.
“If one of them goes bad, they’re thousands of dollars to replace a battery,” Douglass said.
Despite the change, the signature sound of the tram cars will remain, even as the new electric vehicles travel at a maximum speed of eight miles per hour.
The Volvo vehicles come at no cost to the self-sustaining organization that operates the tram cars, which does not receive government funding.
The new Volvo vehicles are set to arrive Saturday, about two weeks before Memorial Day weekend. They will tow trailers featuring advertisements for the automaker.
“Quite frankly, too good of an opportunity for us to turn down,” Rosenello said.
The partnership between the tram cars and Volvo came as a surprise and was sparked by a Volvo executive having personal ties to the Wildwoods.
Volvo’s American headquarters is based in New Jersey.
The addition marks a pivotal step forward for one of the Jersey Shore’s most recognizable attractions, blending tradition with new technology as the busy summer season approaches.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC Philadelphia. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC Philadelphia journalist edited the article for publication.
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