Quote:
Originally Posted by jimbo2012
Are you sure you're saving?
Gas
Oil change every 250 hours, about $35
Do you have an hour meter?
If you use the cart every day that would be every 3 months or so. $125 year
Must check oil
Now if you forget and blow the engine, to replace it must be $2500
Oil & grease leaks in driveway or garage
On going maintenance Oil filter air, gas & air spark plug tuneups and yes your battery.
higher insurance.
Smell higher emissions (aka Carbon footprint), harder to have conversations with passengers.
Electric motors are far simpler in design and construction than a conventional internal combustion engine. Besides the far fewer moving parts and much quieter operation It takes time and you are going out of your way to get to gas station, they aren't on the golf cart paths to fill-up and have to take their cart in for the scheduled oil changes and other service.
I'm certainly not saying that electric will be flawless. Doubtlessly, given new elements in the technology the starting point for operating an electtric is probably far more advantageous to the owner than is generally speaking in terms of a gas cart.
Electric
No noise, quiet
Solar will extend battery life well beyond 4 years because they are always being charged and maintained.
Lithium batteries will be coming down in price lasting 12-15 years.
Low cost of repairs if any.
There are gauges available to indicate state of charge ie: miles to go.
No regular maintenance cost of time out of service.
It cost about 15 cents a mile to run a gas cart plus the maintenance costs, the $900 or so dollars in solar add on pays for itself in under a year.
Most days you will not plug in to supplement the power, my friend has one that has needed to be plugged in for the last two years.
I have one on my RV works great batteries on on their 6th year.
Is it for everybody absolutely not.
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Jimbo looks good on paper but here are the facts:
Oil: I change it twice a year $4.00 a change it takes 1 quart of Mobil 1. It's so simple a child could do it. By the way I change the oil in my diesel truck 10 quarts and filter for $35 if someone is charging you $35 for a golf cart oil change they must have a gun in their hands!
Tune Up: kit purchased at The Villages Golf Carts for $18.00 includes a spark plug, air filter and fuel filter. I do this once a year. Again so simple my grandson who is 5 could do it.
Gas: Once a month its usually $15. Sometimes a little more if i'm golfing farther from home.
Battery: I replaced it twice (about every 5 years) the last time it was $25 at Walmart.
My cart is 12 years old runs great, maintains 23 MPH, and I added the extra seats in the back.
If you change the oil in a gas or diesel engine it will never blow! If you know of anyone who paid $2500 for a new golf cart engine it was neglected and they were fools to replace it!
It does not leak oil but i'll tell you what about every electric cart owner I know the batteries sometimes leak and eat the paint off your garage floor.
If my cart lasted another hundered years it would never cost as much as electric. Those are the facts.