A SIX-SEATER VILLAGE BUGGY SOLD IN SEWICKLEY. | PHOTO BY MADDY PERRY

Street-legal golf carts, sold by Village Buggy in Sewickley, may become the next popular mode of transportation in the Pittsburgh area for neighborhoods with a 25-mph speed limit. 

Village Buggy is owned by Matthew and Jena Simmons, who thought of the idea after visiting friends in Boca Grande in southwest Florida. They found that everyone drives golf carts around the island, and they thought it would be a good fit for the walkable village of Sewickley. The shop opened earlier this year. 

“We watched the way they mingled with regular vehicles seamlessly,” said Matthew Simmons. “And what was leading to the success was it was flat and it was 25 miles per hour, so you never really had to be concerned about anybody going too fast.” 

To open the business, Simmons already owned the space and then converted it to a licensed car dealership. Pennsylvania law permits “neighborhood electric vehicles.” The buggy looks and drives like a golf cart, but the vehicles are registered with a VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and receive state license plates. 

“It’s been tremendously well received,” he said. “We were concerned about pushback from municipalities, from you know, citizens who are resistant to change, but we’ve had none of those.” 

These electric carts, which run on lithium batteries, are considered street legal because they are fast enough to keep up with the local traffic on the streets and include seat belts, turn signals, windshield wipers, headlights and tail lights. The voltage of the battery allows the carts to travel uphill. They can be charged at home using 110 voltage outlets, the same outlet used for a lamp, and will be fully charged in a few hours. A fully charged cart can travel 25-30 miles. 

Kevin Santelli has owned a 6-seater cart since March when he first heard they were street-legal. He finds the carts very convenient for getting around the Sewickley neighborhood.  

“It’s a fun and easy way to get around town,” he said, noting that he can save money on gas and not add mileage to his car.

It might seem foolish to drive a golf cart around town in the winter, but Village Buggy sells enclosures and heaters that allow these carts to drive in cold weather. If customers are not up for that, Village Buggy offers to store the carts for $75 a month, which includes pick-up, drop-off and any needed maintenance. 

Regular maintenance and repairs can be done at the customer’s home or can be picked up to be worked on at the shop. A three-year warranty covers initial repairs and maintenance. 

The price ranges from $8,000 for an entry-level two-seater, to $15,000 for a six or eight-seater with full customizations. 

So far, he said Village Buggy has sold 50 carts to customers in Mount Lebanon, Beaver, Murrysville, Peters, South Fayette, Sewickley and Wexford. Village Buggy is considering expanding physical locations to other communities based on demand. 

“In my experience so far the people that have bought these have said it’s not only very practical, very cost-effective, but it’s very fun,” he said. 

Santelli agreed. “It almost gives our small town the kind of beach town vibe even though we are a little bit far from the beach in Pittsburgh.”