[Vermilion Villager]

Originally Posted by Flyers999

I purchased a 2012 Yamaha 48-v YRDE electric five years ago when my wife and I moved to The Villages. I bought it from a person on craigslist. It needed a dashboard and enclosure, which I bought from The Villages Golf carts in Spanish Springs. Total I paid $4k. Last year, I replaced the batteries(Motive), which I bought, again from the same place(TV Golf Carts) for $1000. I’m able to play any golf course North of 466A, so I’m going to stick with the electric; for now, I’m happy paying $1k every four years for batteries. I should mention that I only use the cart for golf, if I used it for everyday errands I would get a gas cart with metal/glass doors.

There’s no right answer here. As mentioned, the gas carts are smelly, noisy and they need period maintenance that any gas engine needs, i.e., change oil, sparkplugs, etc. There’s no such thing as a quiet gas engine. Ever hear of a quiet motorcycle or gas lawn mower? Many of the Villages cart paths go near homes. How would you like for a motorcycle to pass next to your back yard every three minutes? Even the aforementioned Yamaha Quiet-tech is not as quiet as an electric cart. And all of them get louder the older they get.

As far as the environment, 80% of a Lead-Acid battery is recycled.
Lead-Acid Battery Recycling: What You Need to Know - CJD E-Cycling
The same can’t be said for a Lithium battery. On the other hand, a Lithium battery lasts longer so fewer of them are disposed of every year.

Another country heard from.

You absolutely CAN recycle Lithium batteries!!!
Sustainability | Tesla