[philnpat]

At $3.80 a gallon, that's 160 mpg.

Can't see where the solar would be cost effective.[/QUOTE]



Never thought of it that way. Good point!

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

The EZ Go does not have a gas engine, only a small gas powered generator that recharges the batteries. The ad says that it can get 150 miles on a charge. I heard about a guy who took a Ford Think and added a small generator that runs on something other than gasoline. He gets somewhere around 100 miles. I could easily do 60 miles. Here in the Villages. I currently get about 25-30 with my Club Car. If I want to go to Brownwood at night I have to make sure that I haven't gone anywhere else during the day as it's about 11 miles from my house to Brownwood. I don't play golf, but for those who do, if they are playing a course that's 5-6 miles from their house they are going to do 16 miles or so just to play golf. If they want to do some shopping that afternoon and go to a town square or rec center that evening, I can see how they could easily do 50 miles in a day.

[glgene]

I was told the other day that a typical, 18-hole championship (if you hit perfectly aligned shots) would span a total of 5 miles. But since the average golfer doesn't hit straight ropes, you need to figure that 18 holes would really add 15 miles to your odometer. So if you had a golf cart with 4 batteries at 12 volts each (which should net you 25 miles on a full elec. charge), you would have a tough time driving from LSL to Lopez, play 18 holes, and return.

I think the person who told me was either (1) a gas golf cart advocate, or (2) more-than-4-battery advocate <g>.

Gene

Ps: Please don't ask me from what set of tees the 5 mile (and corresponding 15 miles) calculation was made. I don't know.

[jimbo2012]

Originally Posted by gustavo

How much further than 50 miles do you need for the villages lifestyle?

I have 8, six volt batteries, traveled 44 miles one day just to see how far my range was. Still had three bars on the coulomb meter. Spent all day doing it, never would need even 3/4 of that for my normal routine.

cost, 9 kWh or $1.00 to recharge. At $3.80 a gallon, that's 160 mpg.

Can't see where the solar would be cost effective.

It's not only the distance and now with Brownwood there are many carts that will exceed 50.

It also goes the the state of charge SOC you had on you little meter, you ran that battery bank low, maybe to to low. Batteries can only take so many deep discharges, so you may very well shorten the life out of those batteries.

Now add in replacing those 8 batteries at say $750, that same set of batteries on a solar system will not discharge that much because it will constantly be recharging the batteries all day long.

Now you can get 5-6 years out of the battery bank, that help figure your cost effective calculations???

Now you said U spent all day to drive 44 miles so that means U averaged 5 mph give or take.

So at that speed the draw on the batteries was very slow so the meter showed reserve.

Had you gone out and did 44 miles in say 3 hours that meter would have been much much lower or perhaps even dead.

The faster U go the quicker the discharge.

Ok you estimate to recharge the cart at a $1 a day or $30 a month, fine let's use that number.

That's $360 a year, your batteries amortized over two years ($750 by half) is $325.

So in the first year you spent $360 on elec, $323 on batteries. Your at $683.

at that rate in another three or four more months you just spent the cost of the solar system.

That system will last 20 years will add value to the cart and can even be transferred to a new cart.

It's a great investment.

[jimbo2012]

Originally Posted by Dr Winston O Boogie jr

I could easily do 60 miles. Here in the Villages. I currently get about 25-30 with my Club Car. If I want to go to Brownwood at night I have to make sure that I haven't gone anywhere else during the day as it's about 11 miles from my house to Brownwood. I don't play golf, but for those who do, if they are playing a course that's 5-6 miles from their house they are going to do 16 miles or so just to play golf. If they want to do some shopping that afternoon and go to a town square or rec center that evening, I can see how they could easily do 50 miles in a day.

I can add a solar system on your cart and you will get 70+ miles.

[Jim 9922]

Originally Posted by jimbo2012

I can add a solar system on your cart and you will get 70+ miles.

Have you ever run those public proof trials you were promising last year? If so, I missed the published results , but would be interested to learn of the range, efficiency and construction durability results of your new product.

[Mr Hanky]

Has anyone gotten a price on the generator installed. I really can't make judgement until I know the cost. If its reasonably priced its nothing more than a back- up portable charger for electric carts. I think it's not a bad idea if priced right.

[jimbo2012]

Originally Posted by Jim 9922

Have you ever run those public proof trials you were promising last year? If so, I missed the published results , but would be interested to learn of the range, efficiency and construction durability results of your new product.

We ran it in NY 73 miles twice.

I disassemble that cart and it is here now, Not sure it makes a difference running it NY or TV, but as soon as I'm done with a construction project on my house here I'll put it back together then U can see it first hand.

[gustavo]

Originally Posted by jimbo2012

It's not only the distance and now with Brownwood there are many carts that will exceed 50.

Now you said U spent all day to drive 44 miles so that means U averaged 5 mph give or take.

So at that speed the draw on the batteries was very slow so the meter showed reserve.

Had you gone out and did 44 miles in say 3 hours that meter would have been much much lower or perhaps even dead.

The faster U go the quicker the discharge.

Jimbo, you really took my post literally. My point was I spent "all day" (more time than I ever would drive in a day) to do my test.

I also ran the cart at full speed (20 mph) whenever possible, so I wasn't babying the batteries.

I drove from my house south of 466 did a 4 mile loop back to my house, drove to Lopez, drove to Walmart on 466 back through southern trace down to Brown wood back to another two mile loop then to my house.

My Curtis controller handheld programmer showed a stating voltage of 51 volts and 46 volts at the end of the trip, so I don't think I abused the batteries in any way.

Point being, this run was worst case I would ever consider, 160 mpg.

[gustavo]

Originally Posted by jimbo2012

Now add in replacing those 8 batteries at say $750, that same set of batteries on a solar system will not discharge that much because it will constantly be recharging the batteries all day long.

Now you can get 5-6 years out of the battery bank, that help figure your cost effective calculations???

Ok you estimate to recharge the cart at a $1 a day or $30 a month, fine let's use that number.

That's $360 a year, your batteries amortized over two years ($750 by half) is $325.

So in the first year you spent $360 on elec, $323 on batteries. Your at $683.

at that rate in another three or four more months you just spent the cost of the solar system.

That system will last 20 years will add value to the cart and can even be transferred to a new cart.

It's a great investment.

Not sure how you determined that the batteries only last 2 years without your solar add on and 5-6 years with it???

The batteries I used for my test run are 3 1/2 years old, and show no signs of weariness.

[jimbo2012]

Originally Posted by gustavo

My Curtis controller handheld programmer showed a stating voltage of 51 volts and 46 volts at the end of the trip, so I don't think I abused the batteries in any way.

I think you're incorrect, U slammed those batteries going to 46 volts.

46V means U ran them down 90%

U were about to run out of juice.....

Point being, this run was worst case I would ever consider, 160 mpg.

Sorry but I don't understand this 160mpg thing

Originally Posted by gustavo

Not sure how you determined that the batteries only last 2 years without your solar add on and 5-6 years with it???

The batteries I used for my test run are 3 1/2 years old, and show no signs of weariness.

They are about to, for sure, running to 46volts, that's as low as the charts go.

I think U made it home by the skin of your teeth.

This is just my opinion and or advice, your choice to follow it or not.

[gustavo]

Originally Posted by jimbo2012

I think you're incorrect, U slammed those batteries going to 46 volts.

46V means U ran them down 90%

U were about to run out of juice.....

Sorry but I don't understand this 160mpg thing

They are about to, for sure, running to 46volts, that's as low as the charts go.

I think U made it home by the skin of your teeth.

This is just my opinion and or advice, your choice to follow it or not.

My intent was to run them down. As I said earlier this was a worst case test, I never even approach this condition in my daily travels, which does include brownwood, lopez, golf, dinner, night travel etc.

160 mpg refers to the fact that it cost $1.00 in electricity to go 44 miles.

$1.00 of gas @$3.80/gal is 0.263 gallons of gas.

If you go 44 miles using 0.26 gallons of gas your vehicle fuel usage rate is

44/0.263 = 167 mpg (~160 mpg).

[jimbo2012]

160 mpg, I like that a analogy a lot.

[junction29]

Originally Posted by jimbo2012

160 mpg, I like that a analogy a lot.

It would go further and faster if you installed this new battery system (see link below), but hurry as they are only available for today!

Villages First - A Bio-degradable Battery

[JerryP]

According to freedictionary this cart would not be considered a hybrid.

"Something having two kinds of components that produce the same or similar results, such as a vehicle powered by both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine as sources of power for the drive train."