[Nucky]

When I Golfed in N.J. it was strictly Electric. I considered One when we got here. The only way I would have Electric is if we ever get an Atomic Cart.

We hear about the great things about Electric Carts but Nobody mentions those same People having a Tear in Their Eye when Its Battery Replacement Time! I can't take buying AA or AAA Batteries for the remotes, for a Golf Cart it would be Whambulance Time. Get a Gas Cart and cut out all the Monkey Business!

[l2ridehd]

I have owned both and either is fine. You can make either one work well for you. Current cart is a gas Yamaha quiet tech. We have two carts and use them a lot. If you play golf there will be a championship course that is far enough away that you may wonder, can i get there, play 18 and get back? For me it's Belle Glade and the soon to be built one South of the turnpike. Electric maybe, gas no problem.

Cost per mile to drive is supposed to be slightly higher with electric when you factor in battery replacement. Not really sure, but again I would not let that sway my decision.

Probable your best option is to find a decent used cart and use it for a year and then you will know how much you use it and can make a better decision. You can always sell the used one no matter which you buy.

One observation. I have towed 6 carts home for folks who's cart died on the road. 5 electric and one gas. Small sample and probably user error for not plugging them in, but there seem to be more electrics that die than gas.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally Posted by alwann

Charging locations? Where are there charging locations other than homes? Seriously. Maybe I'm missing something.

Well, at the moment I would suggest a resident group could be formed around TV to allow carts to plug into each others front porch outlets for 15 minutes...

With the advent of the new generation of Lithium batteries I expect someone will see the profit opportunity soon in providing charging locations at all rec centers. Slip in your CC and fill'er up. It will be a few years but with prices falling on batteries and charging stations becoming available (maybe?) I expect a larger and larger percentage of those 75,000 carts roaming TV will be converting to electric. Not this year or the next, but soon.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally Posted by Henryk

I drive my cart all the time. I have calculated that I drive 100 miles a month almost each month. Batteries to charge, no thanks. Batteries to replace for mucho bucks, no thanks. But I am interested in the new quieter gas Yamahas.

So if you drive it every other day, that comes out to about 6 miles round trip or about 20 minutes every two days - unless you are driving slowly?

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally Posted by Fredster

I spend way more time traveling in my cart in TV.
Even though I spend far less on gas, the main reason
for me, is that it is a much better way to
experience the beautifully landscaped areas of TV.
Only motorcyclists and cart drivers understand why
dogs love to stick their heads out of car windows!

I understand completely, and was saying just that to my wife th other day - I almost have her convinced to approve the $11K purchase (She is our CFO)

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally Posted by Jazuela

We have a gas cart. I think the OP is missing one variable in the equation. How many trips do you take per day? That 20-minute ride will be fine. But what happens when you go home, and need to go out again? You haven't had time for your car to recharge, and you're about to take another possible 20-minute ride.

So you do that, come home, your cart is pretty thirsty and you plug it in.

20 minutes later, you realize you're out of milk.

You can get in the car, run the AC and waste 20MPG for a 2-mile drive to Publix, or you can wait a couple hours til your cart is fully charged again because you KNOW as soon as you get home, you'll get a phone call from the pharmacy telling you that your prescription is ready to pick up. And then an hour later it's time for your weekly dinner date at the other Town Square.

Spending most of your day being concerned about whether or not you have enough juice to get you through the entire day's worth of trips - is not the idea of paradise to me.

On the other hand!

If everything I needed was within a 1 or 2-mile range, I could easily use the cart all day on a single charge and then recharge overnight.

On the other hand!

Power outages = no recharge = no golf cart.

You make a very valid point, and that and the maintenance "hassles" with lead acid batteries are why I was (am?) considering gas.

BUT, and there is always a but, the new Lithium batteries have a very fast charge rate, and you can "top them off" unlike lead acid. So, you can come home with say 50% charge left, plug in and 30 minutes later go out with maybe 80% charge (30 to 40 miles0, come back and plug in and 2 hours later and you definitely have a full charge again (50 to 70 miles).

So, far less anxiety - maybe.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally Posted by Nucky

When I Golfed in N.J. it was strictly Electric. I considered One when we got here. The only way I would have Electric is if we ever get an Atomic Cart.

We hear about the great things about Electric Carts but Nobody mentions those same People having a Tear in Their Eye when Its Battery Replacement Time! I can't take buying AA or AAA Batteries for the remotes, for a Golf Cart it would be Whambulance Time. Get a Gas Cart and cut out all the Monkey Business!

I certainly can't intelligently discuss price trade offs - yet - but the little reading I have done suggests the difference in total cost of ownership between gas and electric is narrowing, at least if you keep it for more than a couple years.

The new Lithium batteries have an expected life of 8 years instead of 4 like the lead acid, and I expect in 8 years there will be something much better to replace them. So, basically, no replacement costs for the batteries at this point (unless one blows up and/or catches fire)

At the moment I am more concerned with things like noise. I am hard of hearing and hate my hearing aides, so talking with my wife is a challenge in a noisy car, I can imagine what it will be like in an open air ICE golf.

Being a "techie" I do also like the idea of supporting the advancement of electric. We plan eventually to put solar arrays on the roof and replacing Ms. kitty (our Jaguar) with a Tesla. So, an electric cart would fit right in there and e could charge both.

No matter what someone suggested we rent each a week or two when we move in and see what we like and don't like.

This thread is more about the issue (advantage?) of going 20 miles per hour and spending hours a day enjoying the ride vs using those hours to do activities we are interested in and where is the right balance of hurry up and wait vs. sitting back and enjoying the ride

[Aces4]

Originally Posted by GrumpyOldMan

I certainly can't intelligently discuss price trade offs - yet - but the little reading I have done suggests the difference in total cost of ownership between gas and electric is narrowing, at least if you keep it for more than a couple years.

The new Lithium batteries have an expected life of 8 years instead of 4 like the lead acid, and I expect in 8 years there will be something much better to replace them. So, basically, no replacement costs for the batteries at this point (unless one blows up and/or catches fire)

At the moment I am more concerned with things like noise. I am hard of hearing and hate my hearing aides, so talking with my wife is a challenge in a noisy car, I can imagine what it will be like in an open air ICE golf.

Being a "techie" I do also like the idea of supporting the advancement of electric. We plan eventually to put solar arrays on the roof and replacing Ms. kitty (our Jaguar) with a Tesla. So, an electric cart would fit right in there and e could charge both.

No matter what someone suggested we rent each a week or two when we move in and see what we like and don't like.

This thread is more about the issue (advantage?) of going 20 miles per hour and spending hours a day enjoying the ride vs using those hours to do activities we are interested in and where is the right balance of hurry up and wait vs. sitting back and enjoying the ride

Don’t be grumpy, I think you’re overthinking the cart purchase. You will make either one work as most people do. We have two gas carts which you couldn’t pry from our fingers and our friends have electric and feel the same way. I think more important to us is the enclosure, that’s so important. Otherwise, go with your gut.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by GrumpyOldMan

I understand completely, and was saying just that to my wife th other day - I almost have her convinced to approve the $11K purchase (She is our CFO)

You could buy a tricked-out used golf cart for less than that. USB ports, tilt-out lower half windshield, sand bottle, cooler, premium seats, seatbelts, overhead storage bin or fan, premium color striping and light package, arm rests, etc. If you're lucky you might even find one that's still got a couple months left on the original warranty.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally Posted by Jazuela

You could buy a tricked-out used golf cart for less than that. USB ports, tilt-out lower half windshield, sand bottle, cooler, premium seats, seatbelts, overhead storage bin or fan, premium color striping and light package, arm rests, etc. If you're lucky you might even find one that's still got a couple months left on the original warranty.

That is certainly something I am looking into! Sadly, most cart stores seem to want to get you to come in and let them give your the sales pitch and don't show many (any?) prices online. I would really appreciate a "ball park" price on their website so I could decide whether it is worth my time to go listen to their spiel.

[GrumpyOldMan]

Originally Posted by Aces4

Don’t be grumpy, I think you’re overthinking the cart purchase. You will make either one work as most people do. We have two gas carts which you couldn’t pry from our fingers and our friends have electric and feel the same way. I think more important to us is the enclosure, that’s so important. Otherwise, go with your gut.

Well, yes, I am over thinking it, that happens when I have months to think about a purchase -

[Shimpy]

Originally Posted by l2ridehd

. I have towed 6 carts home for folks who's cart died on the road. 5 electric and one gas. Small sample and probably user error for not plugging them in, but there seem to be more electrics that die than gas.

If you run out of battery your dead in the water. With gas some body can bring you a gallon to get you home. Can't do that with electric.

[jojo]

Our electric cart is 10 years old and we have only had regular maintenance and battery replacement. We have one car and one cart. I mostly drive the cart and average 240 miles a month. I have never even come close to running out of a charge in 10 years and that may include an 8 mile trip for tennis and a round of golf and going to the square in the evening. I dislike riding with folks who have gas carts, although the newer ones are improved but still not nearly as pleasant as electric.

[Altavia]

Has anyone seen/driven one of these?

https://www.clubcar.com/us/en/golf-o...thium-ion.html

[tophcfa]

Originally Posted by Arctic Fox

That's why I'd never buy a gas cart.

I'd be worried that the tanker drivers would be on strike, leaving the gas stations dry just when my tank was nearly empty and I'd run out of cornflakes.

Thats what gas cans are for, we have two gas carts that I never let get below a half of a tank and I always have a couple of full gas cans in the garage for a back up just in case.