Most other residential communities don’t have the gasoline infrastructure the Village has

Country Clubs use electric vs gas for operational reasons. It’s easier to plug in all the carts than fill one at time up with gasoline. Plus arranging delivery of gasoline would interfere with operations.

That's why everyone uses them, except some Villagers ... operational reasons.

That and most people refuse to use them, rent them own them. It's like buying a brand new, 1970 Chevy Impala. Automatic transmission & AM radio ... all the new features!

Was told by a reputable source, that 90% of Yamaha's gasoline golf cart production in the USA, goes to TV. No one else wants them.

Something else to consider is ergonomics (because we inhabit older, aging bodies!).
The steering column/wheel on the yamaha carts is off center from the center of the drivers seat.
If you use your cart a lot you are going to be putting your spine, hips, legs off-kilter while in the cart.
This was the dealbreaker for me (combined with noise and fumes from gas carts).
We bought older EZGO RXV with all the comfy bells and whistle very cheap. Husband upgraded batteries. Still way below cost of new or even recent models of electric of gas carts. We have a very good range on the cart after three years of heavy usage as transportation and on courses.
EZGO steering column is centered on drivers seat. My back, hips knees are grateful. Good luck!

Yes,
Look at gas stations.
On Top of the World (or another community) may have 10,000 homes, or maybe 5,000 to 7,000 golf carts.
Whereas Villages has 50,000/60,000/70,000 golf carts - 10x as many. There are more golf cars to support a gas station within the golf car cart paths.
This article says Villages has 65,000, and the 2nd largest in GA has 12,000

The 5 Biggest Golf Cart Communities in the U.S.! - Bright EV


It took me no time to find this business that drives students around Alabama, operating gas golf carts

About | Bama Ride

Think of a high end country club.
They get gas delivered to their maintenance facilities (for mowers, etc); but that is often hidden from members - the delivery truck can come any time.
Imagine a gas truck coming to a private club at 11:30 AM, when the members are fully utilizing the club, not going to work. Then think of the kids working in the cart barn, want them filling up 100 golf cars or plugging them in at night?

I highly question the above observation as we own two Yamahas and have driven them thousands of miles without noticing an ergonomic misalignment. That being said, adding aftermarket bucket seats, that are not a Yamaha product, could certainly cause the described issue. We have aftermarket seats, but they are bench style seats so we aren’t shoehorned into a seating position like with bucket seats. Definitely something to think about when considering aftermarket seats.

You obviously don't know much about how Country Clubs operate nor Golf Carts.

Gas carts are way more "convenient" for clubs, which is why TV uses them. In the real world, customers hate them.

Was at Harbor Hills and their fully charged cart barely made it back after 18 holes.

Thank you for ending the Golf Cart confusion
 

Although I have not arrived at TV, I am feeling the “community” through the thoughtful responses to my dilemma. Even the “you’re overthinking” replies were appreciated. Three copies are at the framers and being sent to ex-wives who often associated my thinking with “not” or “what were you”.
There was not much support for buying used privately so I am leaning towards gas, Yamaha (recent) from a dealer in TV who will warranty and service.

Thank you all for the time spent on helping me.

GB

Thats not the carts fault....Thats the courses fault..

Well, don’t make the rules. And that’s good thing. :eclipsee_gold_cup:

Guess they don’t put speedometer on electric carts?:wave:

Like you, no thanks.

Yamaha has been making fuel injected engines since 2012 1/2. Agree any carburetors on any cart will smell due to cold starting.

It was a outing that began at 8 in the morning. I'm sure they had all the carts charging overnight, so yeah, it was the carts fault. Now if you're saying that their carts were old and needed replacement it would be on the Harbor Hills.

I got mine there as well. I didn’t want to wait 6+ months that TV store was quoting me, plus I saved a few bucks.

Over thinking can minimize over spending.:posting:

I've seen several dead gas carts left out on golf courses over the years. They are not immune to dying for a variety of reasons.

is

what im saying is if the course took car of the carts better, that would not happen, so its on the course.

Beware of advice from those who have never owned an electric cart. New battery replacement is nowhere near $4k. I recently converted my lead acid battery cart to Lithium Iron Phosphate or LiFePO4 batteries for less than $1200. LiFePO4 batteries differ from the more common Lithium Ion Cobalt in that they are safer, can be recharged hundreds of more times, and the power does not drop off as you run your cart. They will need replacement eventually BUT you will save that money spent in replacing them in that electric carts are essentially maintenance free and have so few parts that they rarely (if ever) break down.

Think of all the belts, hoses, and filters on a gas engine. Fuel injectors, spark plugs, exhaust systems to replace. Oil changes and tuneups. I have seen many many gas carts broken down along the trails but have yet to see an electric one waiting on a tow. Then there is having to go to the gas station to refuel or storing smelly gas in the garage. My neighbors cart leaked gas and oil in their garage and you can still smell it a year later (and it stained their floor).

My cart will run all day with juice leftover and all I do at the end of the day is plug it in and its ready to go for the next day. The batteries are so lightweight that my cart picked up 2 mph after replacing the original heavy batteries & the cart is way lighter than a gas cart. I would never buy a smelly, noisy, polluting high-maintenance gas cart in this day and age. Electric carts are the future and you will save a bundle in the long run. The photo below is of my electric 1999 Club Car DS which runs like a new cart (if not better) even at almost 25 years of age!
https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...c-club-car.jpg

Probably the golfers.

Only gas cart I would recommend is the Yamaha Quietech.

Many choices for electric but consider the Atlas 210ah cart...90 miles of tranquil range. Serenity with zero maintenance is key!

I built my own 150ah lithium battery pack ($2000) for an older $6000 AC motor cart but I would not recommend building your own without an extensive STEM background.

Density varieties
 

Dang. That sure sent me googling right quick. Lithium-ion batteries vs lithium-iron-phosphate batteries: which is better? | HERE Not gonna hurt my head by trying to figure out the differences between "power density" and "energy density".

But, if I read that article correctly, it doesn't seem to quite agree with some of your points. But, my understanding of *any* aspect of electromagnetism shall always remain limited.

*Did* note that "ion" and "iron" look really similar, and that LiFe looks a lot like "life". Took me a minute to realize that the "Fe" part refers to iron. :-)

"Extensive"
 

Thinkin there must be a mighty large range of STEM backgrounds. Bet there's plenty of "extensive" ones that *still* wouldn't allow one to pull off something like that. :-) Impressive - at least to *me*.

With any STEM background, one would be able to figure it out...Math / Physics / Chemistry are basis of STEM. STEM enables the ability to figure out physical reality.

That article posted above is just plain wrong..Try these videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FdZL8RF3thI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iptLhpK6Cg0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-1psMHSpKs

LFP chemistry is more stable than tirnary chemistry...especially NCA.

Solvation shells :-)
 

Guess I'd need "any" defined. :-) My STEM background as compared to that of an electrical engineer would be orders of magnitude smaller. My STEM background as compared to the average guy on the street is probably quite a bit greater. Kinda leaves me in a sort of "limbo" zone, I guess.

I nibbled around the edges of your first two listed videos. Looks like "LFP" is the same creature as the aforementioned "LiFe". Had been unaware of the sodium version. Did watch the third video listed to completion. Fascinating stuff, but it still hurts my head too much to competently "figure it out". Could just be laziness, could just be lack of brain power. Although, the "crashing of the wave" analogy definitely helped with what I've previously read about how much actual "movement" of electrons there is within currents.

Guess I'll continue to stick to my "history" of science hobby rather than the real thing. *Did* just learn about how humanity just missed out on possibly avoiding the major portion of the nuclear arms race. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmgFG7PUHfo And, didja know that Ben Franklin came up with the term "battery" based on the arrangement of his batch of Leyden jars? :-)

Accurate?
 

Would you consider this video to be accurate? TIA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jTTpyCwQFw

Since we're still part timers, I couldn't see spending all that money on a new cart, just to have it sit in my garage.

I found a very clean, 2013 Yamaha (originally from Carts & Clubs) and it served us well for two years. Willie's serviced it once during that time (the tech assured us that it was in great shape)...

But, the noise level and the suspension issues (the older ones have a much rougher ride) got the better of me, so we sold that cart (for only $500 less than I paid for it) this summer, I bought a 2017 QuieTech, loaded with El Tigre seats, LED running lights, seat belts and the nicer hard valance rain curtains...

Once again, I had Willie's service it and we're good to go... The noise level is MUCH less and the ride is VASTLY superior!

I figure that when we do become full timers (looks like that'll be in about 18 months), I'll find a newer cart and either sell the 2017 or keep it as a 2nd cart...

I doubt you'll be able to find a tech who will accompany you to look at carts. Just try to find a cart where the owner has service records...

So, I take it you don’t own Harley?

Gasoline engine only noisy while under load. It’s only illegal if you go over 20 or 25 MPH for LSVs. Why they have speedometer’s on them. Lots of electric carts souped up also exceed 20 or 25 MPH. Every LSV I seen going going down BV or MB exceed 25 MPH limit.

Going faster does not make them louder. Gas carts are made to go fast by changing of the gears, so engine RPM is the same as when the motor is stock as used on a golf course. The motors are not spinning more RPM like a dragster

Can't argue with someone who continues to post nonsense. Most posters have him blocked and only see his posts when quoted.

My 2016 Ezgo has original lithium batteries.
 

[QUOTE=mrf0151;2268838]Everyone likes a quieter cart so when we moved here almost 20 years ago, we got a Club 4 battery electric. It was wonderful until the batteries got a couple years on them and then the range dropped off some. With the new lithium batteries there seems to be many positives as they are supposed to last longer and give much better range. However, the jury is really out on these lithium electric carts because they do not have a long track record.
It has never been in the shop for maintenance. No belts to get loose or break. No starter gen to go bad. No smell. Quick quiet and efficient. Yes. Oil changes? Nope.
One cent of electricity per mile of operation. Gas is around 4 or 5 cents. When you add it up electric is the proven low maintenance, lower cost way to go in golf carts.

We bought a fully loaded 7 year old Yamaha cart as our first cart for under $7000. The couple we bought it from didn't golf at all and used their car primarily so it had very low hours.

What we came to realize though when checking out what a new or refurbished cart would cost is how much the add-ons are. Every little thing adds up. I think the add-ons to our cart probably cost the original owner an extra $2000 on top of the price of the cart.

We're going to be upgrading to the QuieTech at some point in the next two years and expect to get almost the same amount we paid when we resell our current one.

You seem to forget that there are few places like TV where a golf cart is often used as the primary vehicle for day-to-day tasks by tens of thousands of people and there are golf cart paths that are connected for 20 plus miles, making a 40 mile round trip in one day feasible. That is why the gas golf cart still reigns supreme here.

I have a 2014 gas yamaha, bought used (refurbed). It has been a great cart. But it is stinkier and noisier than my new lithium cart. If ya don't care about the stink and noise, and range anxiety is real to you, then get a gas yamaha like most of the villagers. My new electric plugs into the garage and saves me trips to the gas station, which also saves me on soft drinks and lotto tickets.

As an option, check out Botero Golf Carts in Ocala. They just opened a new location on September 8th. They have locations in North Carolina, Georgia, and Arizona and have nothing but 5 star reviews online. They carry Evolution golf carts, and unlike Villages Discount Golf Cars (who recently dropped Evolution), they actually know how to work on these carts. You can get a loaded lithium cart for $8k-$10K less than a comparable Yamaha , Club Car, or Star.

I just bought a D5 Ranger - comes with great seats (comparable to my Yamaha), auto-cancelling turn signals, led lights, built in speaker, 4 forward facing seats, back up camera, and adjustable steering column (I'm sure I'm missing several features). All this for MSRP of $11,995. This includes a 110ah lithium battery with a range of 30-40 miles. For another $2K, you can move to the 205ah with a range of 70-80 miles.

We got ours from Villages Discount Golf Car.
It's got a good warranty.
We got a good price.
Sales were very friendly and helpful, no pressure.
One issue we had with the self-cancelling turn signals, they came out the next day and fixed it. They have a really good crew there too!

Very happy with our purchase! Highly recommend checking them out!