Tesla 3

[Chi-Town]

Wow. This could change the automobile landscape. An electric five passenger sedan that goes from zero to 60 mph in 6 seconds with a minimum range of 215 miles. And a $35,000 price tag that puts it into a very popular price range.

Tesla has $3.5 billion in preorders for this model. Can a Tesla golf cart be far off?

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160401/fec5842d34cff0aa490078d06e6cefb4.jpg

[asianthree]

Already a long list of pre orders. Our friend has already ordered

[DeanFL]

Was watching the unveil intently last night. We have a Prius and AOK with it, it's just fine for us. BUT - if we would need a car for longer travel (rather than simply errands to 441 area and trips to adjoining towns etc etc) I would consider the III.

Good for Elon Musk and his endeavors. I'm not a hugely 'green' guy, but his Teslas sure could be a turning point for EV adoption, esp if the pricepoint is good as it is in the III (base is $35K minus fed tax credit up to $7500...). Must say the size/style looks great and may hit a sweet spot for the market (3 series/A4 etc). And made in USA etc etc. 135K perorders so far, with $1K deposit (refundable)

[dewilson58]

hopefully they can deliver on the promises

[rubicon]

Was watching the unveil intently last night. We have a Prius and AOK with it, it's just fine for us. BUT - if we would need a car for longer travel (rather than simply errands to 441 area and trips to adjoining towns etc etc) I would consider the III.

Good for Elon Musk and his endeavors. I'm not a hugely 'green' guy, but his Teslas sure could be a turning point for EV adoption, esp if the pricepoint is good as it is in the III (base is $35K minus fed tax credit up to $7500...). Must say the size/style looks great and may hit a sweet spot for the market (3 series/A4 etc). And made in USA etc etc. 135K perorders so far, with $1K deposit (refundable)

I want the government to give me a $7500 tax credit for buying a natural gas car

[Topspinmo]

Was watching the unveil intently last night. We have a Prius and AOK with it, it's just fine for us. BUT - if we would need a car for longer travel (rather than simply errands to 441 area and trips to adjoining towns etc etc) I would consider the III.

Good for Elon Musk and his endeavors. I'm not a hugely 'green' guy, but his Teslas sure could be a turning point for EV adoption, esp if the pricepoint is good as it is in the III (base is $35K minus fed tax credit up to $7500...). Must say the size/style looks great and may hit a sweet spot for the market (3 series/A4 etc). And made in USA etc etc. 135K perorders so far, with $1K deposit (refundable)


I wonder if the same batteries are used that's in the hover board and are they made in China? just wonder what the fireworks may look like when the batteries go puff? :22yikes:

I doubt or question 215 miles on charge? Too many variables. Like hills, a/c use, lead feet, wind, how long the batteries will take full charge?

But, if true I could see city dwellers using it.

[DeanFL]

Part of article today = and orders now close to 1/4 million:

An admiring fan base cheered when Tesla Motors Inc. took the wraps off the Model 3, the electric-car company's product aimed at the mass market.

The number of would-be buyers placing deposits of $1,000 each had reached 198,000 by Friday morning after the Model 3 was unveiled Thursday night in Hawthorne, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk tweeted. Deliveries are scheduled to start at the end of 2017.

So what would consumers be buying? Tesla calls the four-door Model 3 a "premium sedan." Here's a look at some of the car's specifications:

The cost
The Model 3's base price is $35,000, although Musk tweeted that the selling price with the average mix of options probably would reach $42,000.

Size and speed
The Model 3 seats five adults, yet it's at least 20% smaller than its big brother, Tesla's $70,000 Model S sedan. There are trunks in the car's rear and front — nicknamed a "frunk."

The Model 3 accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in less than six seconds. Musk, after unveiling the car, told the audience that "there will be versions of the Model 3 that go much faster."

Range and charging
The car can travel at least 215 miles before it needs recharging and has standard equipment to use Tesla's so-called supercharging stations, where the car can be recharged in minutes rather than hours.

There are about 3,600 superchargers at more than 600 locations worldwide. Musk said Tesla expects to double the number of superchargers by the end of next year.

Other specs
The futuristic interior replaces the conventional cluster of gauges in front of the driver with a 15-inch touch-screen just to the driver's right. That's the instrument display where the driver enters various commands.

Also standard is the hardware for an autopilot feature, which uses the car's cameras, radar and sensors to automatically steer down the highway, change lanes, adjust speeds and parallel park on the driver's command. In "summon" mode, the car will pull itself up to the driver.

Tesla says the Model 3 will receive a top five-star rating in every safety category.

Unspecified specs
Many of the car's technical details were not immediately disclosed. "The company is being very stingy with the details," Car and Driver wrote on its website.

Motor Trend noted that that no specs were provided on the Model 3's battery capacity. The magazine said that, with a range of 215 miles, "we estimate the pack to be around 70" kilowatt hours. The Model S battery capacity can be either 70 or 90 kilowatt hours.

Early reaction
In person, the Model 3 is striking. The front end doesn't need air flow to cool an engine, so it has no grille. The interior, not built about a traditional power train, is roomy and open. A massive single piece of glass covers the entire rear passenger area.

Under acceleration, the 3 rushes forward silently with chest-tightening speed.

[Bay Kid]

Made in the good old USA!!!

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I can't see this technology taking hold until they have charging stations the same quantity as gas stations and they are able to do a full charge in less than ten minutes. 600 charging stations worldwide doesn't seem to cut it for me. It does say that it can be fully charged in minutes not hours. It doesn't say how many minutes. The 215 miles is with brand new batteries, what about when the batteries are 4 years old? Will it do 215 miles with five passengers?

I can't see spending $35,000 on a car that I couldn't drive to Miami and back for example. And the $35,000 is the stripped price. A more realistic price is around $42,000. How long will the batteries last and what is the replacement cost?

A they currently stand this is no more than an expensive toy or a second car. Even with that, it seems like there is going to have to be a lot of careful planning for any trips over 75 miles. There are way too many questions. Although, 198,000 people putting up $1,000 to be able to buy one next years is impressive. I guess a lot of people have a lot of disposable income.

[tuccillo]

Tesla advertises 120 kW (that is a lot of power) Supercharger charging stations that can take a 90 kWh Model S battery pack from 10% to 80% in 40 minutes. Getting the last 20% of charge almost doubles the charging time. They also claim, for the Model S, an additional 170 miles in 30 minutes. Charging at home takes much longer. I would assume the Model 3 is similar. It is probably more correct to say "tens of minutes" instead of "minutes" for the Supercharger charging stations. Clearly, anything resembling more than daily driving will take some planning and flexibility.

I can't see this technology taking hold until they have charging stations the same quantity as gas stations and they are able to do a full charge in less than ten minutes. 600 charging stations worldwide doesn't seem to cut it for me. It does say that it can be fully charged in minutes not hours. It doesn't say how many minutes. The 215 miles is with brand new batteries, what about when the batteries are 4 years old? Will it do 215 miles with five passengers?

I can't see spending $35,000 on a car that I couldn't drive to Miami and back for example. And the $35,000 is the stripped price. A more realistic price is around $42,000. How long will the batteries last and what is the replacement cost?

A they currently stand this is no more than an expensive toy or a second car. Even with that, it seems like there is going to have to be a lot of careful planning for any trips over 75 miles. There are way too many questions. Although, 198,000 people putting up $1,000 to be able to buy one next years is impressive. I guess a lot of people have a lot of disposable income.

[Buckeye Bob]

The batteries for the Tesla's going forward are being made at their new gigafactory plant in Nevada.
https://www.teslamotors.com/gigafactory

[Miles42]

To each his own. Nice but not for me.

[villagetinker]

I will bet this goes to over 500,000 pre-orders in the near future. Also, at that number, we may be approaching the number of cars needed for the additional infrastructure to support the charging of the EVs.

In any case this will definitely be worth watching.

[rubicon]

As Telsa achieves its economies to scale the tax incentives will disappear and once that happens consumer are going to be experiencing sticker shock.

The Telsa3 is some 18 months until the first come off the production line. It has placed Telsa in a cash flow crunch especially since it is heavily funding other projects.

It also is involved in legal fights in 6 states that ban direct sales from auto maker to consumer.

There is no doubt the Telsa is a beautiful car but does it have staying power?

In that same vein NGV's offer the same reduction of greenhouses gases. Natural gas vehicles also ride on renewable methane gas captured from landfills. And you can drive farther distances on a tank and oh you won't be paying for new batteries that presently range from $5,000 to $50,000 to replace.

do I want Telsa to succeed of course

[Chi-Town]

Tesla is here and now. Vertically integrated with strong management and financing. Natural gas vehicles are a good idea, but there are only 120,000 on the road in the U.S. with many in the utility fleet sector. And there has been no growth.

[Shimpy]

To each his own. Nice but not for me.

This is how they do it....They make a vehicle that gets great gas mileage but charge you a premium for buying it so you can save money on gas. It will probably take you about 6 years of keeping that vehicle to break even over a regular vehicle.

[gomoho]

Hats off if you wish to buy an electric car, but dam it, I really don't want to subsidize your $7500 tax break. Let's see how these stand on their own without government manipulation.

[graciegirl]

Smart girl, Gomoho. Maybe one of these days it will be easily affordable and doable to have without government support.


I saw this somewhere today.


Rich people have spending habits like they are broke.
Broke people have spending habits like they are rich.

[Chi-Town]

The $7500.00 is not a lock.

Forbes Welcome (http://www.forbes.com/sites/lianeyvkoff/2016/04/01/sorry-a-lot-of-you-may-not-get-that-7500-irs-tax-credit/#34cd502956b6)

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

As Telsa achieves its economies to scale the tax incentives will disappear and once that happens consumer are going to be experiencing sticker shock.

The Telsa3 is some 18 months until the first come off the production line. It has placed Telsa in a cash flow crunch especially since it is heavily funding other projects.

It also is involved in legal fights in 6 states that ban direct sales from auto maker to consumer.

There is no doubt the Telsa is a beautiful car but does it have staying power?

In that same vein NGV's offer the same reduction of greenhouses gases. Natural gas vehicles also ride on renewable methane gas captured from landfills. And you can drive farther distances on a tank and oh you won't be paying for new batteries that presently range from $5,000 to $50,000 to replace.

do I want Telsa to succeed of course

I agree. I don't know why we haven't been on a path to natural gas vehicles for the past thirty years. We have an abundance of the stuff right here. It's easier to get at than oil. We also have an infrastructure in place to get it to existing gas stations. It would take very little to run a line from the street into a filling stations and set up pumps. You wouldn't have the problems of having only 600 recharging stations worldwide or having to replace the batteries after few years. There's also the concern about damage done to the environment in the manufacture of batteries. There'd be no concern about range. In fact you could have a filling station in your own garage. Existing gasoline burning car engines can be converted to burn natural gas fairly easily.
To me, it's a no brainer advantage over electric vehicles.

[justjim]

I guess there is 200,000 that see something in this car that I don't see. I say---no thanks. $42,000 for a car that will go only about 200 miles. You got to be kidding. This car is only a second car at best and on a "benefit analysis" it just doesn't add up. No thanks.

[rubicon]

Hats off if you wish to buy an electric car, but dam it, I really don't want to subsidize your $7500 tax break. Let's see how these stand on their own without government manipulation.

that's what I have been saying since the government allowed golf cart buyers a $7500 tax credit. However the tax credit for solar are evaporating.
Telsa would have never survived but for the generous tax benefits he received from both the federal and state governments. You tax away those tax benefits and the company is just not profitable.

The cost of battery replacement for its top of the line vehicles is presently stated to be around $50,000.

So why isn't the government giving more backing to NGV's?...that's a rhetorical question

[tuccillo]

I suspect one target is folks who need a daily driver for work and might be considering 4-door sedans such as an Acura, BMW, or Audi. Many of those folks probably won't spring the $90K for a Model S but would do $40K for a Model 3. They probably like the concept of the Chevy Volt but can't bring themselves to buy a Chevy. Keep in mind that they are marketing to the upper income levels. The range is more than sufficient and many of those folks probably have another gas vehicle so they won't use the Tesla on longer trips.

I guess there is 200,000 that see something in this car that I don't see. I say---no thanks. $42,000 for a car that will go only about 200 miles. You got to be kidding. This car is only a second car at best and on a "benefit analysis" it just doesn't add up. No thanks.

[Cisco Kid]

I wonder how this car works for me at 5 below. I turn on the heater and warm the car up for for ten minutes before I drive away. Or is it only for sunny warm days. Will need a backup car?

[OpusX1]

For here in the Villages I would consider this a very nice tricked out cart, it's only two and a half times the cost of the existing tricked out carts and its street legal to boot. They need to make a convertible model for trips to the beach.

[rubicon]

For here in the Villages I would consider this a very nice tricked out cart, it's only two and a half times the cost of the existing tricked out carts and its street legal to boot. They need to make a convertible model for trips to the beach.

An inexpensive vehicle ( about the same costs as a tricked out golf cart) can achieve that goal such as a fiat which gets 40 miles per gallon + and has low maintenance.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

So why isn't the government giving more backing to NGV's?...that's a rhetorical question

I'm guessing it's because the electric lobbyists have contributed a lot more to re-election campaigns than natural gas lobbyists.

And didn't I read somewhere that the manufacture and disposal of batteries does more damage to the environment than burning gasoline for the equivalent number of miles?

[rubicon]

When I moved here in 2006 the most popular cat was electric. Today its gas carts. I wonder why:confused::D

[Nucky]

Smart girl, Gomoho. Maybe one of these days it will be easily affordable and doable to have without government support.


I saw this somewhere today.


Rich people have spending habits like they are broke.
Broke people have spending habits like they are rich.

That is from Mark Cuban. Great advice. Other great advice from my father...never buy a car in the year it's released....let someone else be the test pilot. Two smart guys.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

When I moved here in 2006 the most popular cat was electric. Today its gas carts. I wonder why:confused::D

Nationwide, electric carts outsell gas by a huge margin. Electrics are less costly to run and maintain and will last a lot longer.

My guess is that there are two reasons as to why there are so many gas carts here. Number one, Yamaha makes the best gas golf carts. They made them even better when the introduce EFI. I don't believe that the developer owns the Yamaha dealerships here, but there certainly seems to be a very close relationship between the two.

Secondly, before the advent of 8 six volt battery configuration and the Ranger batteries, electric were limited to a range of only about 20-25 miles on a charge. As The Villages grew, residents wanted to travel greater distances. The only solution was gas carts.

Also nationwide, there are more Club Cars (mostly electric) sold than any other brand. EX-Go sells more (again mostly electric) than third place finisher, Yamaha. Like I say, there's something different about The Villages where Yamaha seems to be the brand of choice.

Part of this could be the application. Most golf carts sold in the world are sold in fleets to be used on golf courses. If a course can get two rounds a day out it's fleet it will do very well. Until Club Car invented the 48 volt system, two rounds was pushing the limit. The 48 volt system allowed courses to get up to three rounds out of one charge. Still that's only about twelve miles. In The Villages and other golf cart communities people want to be able to travel much more than 12 miles in a day. Now with better electric technology I'm wondering if we'll see the pendulum begin to swing back to electrics.

[Clawdio45]

I'm surprised to note that nobody has mentioned the upcoming Chevrolet Bolt, also an all-electric car, priced in the mid-$30k range before tax credits, and also offering a 200 mile range. The difference is, the Bolt is going to be in showrooms before the end of 2016. Tesla 3 is prettier to look at, for sure, but for Tesla to be successful, the Model 3 really must make a profit for the company. GM has deeper pockets and can afford to keep margins low.

[rubicon]

Nationwide, electric carts outsell gas by a huge margin. Electrics are less costly to run and maintain and will last a lot longer.

My guess is that there are two reasons as to why there are so many gas carts here. Number one, Yamaha makes the best gas golf carts. They made them even better when the introduce EFI. I don't believe that the developer owns the Yamaha dealerships here, but there certainly seems to be a very close relationship between the two.

Secondly, before the advent of 8 six volt battery configuration and the Ranger batteries, electric were limited to a range of only about 20-25 miles on a charge. As The Villages grew, residents wanted to travel greater distances. The only solution was gas carts.

Also nationwide, there are more Club Cars (mostly electric) sold than any other brand. EX-Go sells more (again mostly electric) than third place finisher, Yamaha. Like I say, there's something different about The Villages where Yamaha seems to be the brand of choice.

Part of this could be the application. Most golf carts sold in the world are sold in fleets to be used on golf courses. If a course can get two rounds a day out it's fleet it will do very well. Until Club Car invented the 48 volt system, two rounds was pushing the limit. The 48 volt system allowed courses to get up to three rounds out of one charge. Still that's only about twelve miles. In The Villages and other golf cart communities people want to be able to travel much more than 12 miles in a day. Now with better electric technology I'm wondering if we'll see the pendulum begin to swing back to electrics.

Doc: I do not doubt a word you say and my personal preference is an electric cart. Yet battery technology has improved batteries lose their efficacy as time passes and as a result distance anxiety prevailed. So I finally surrendered and purchased a Yamaha EFI and while I still hate the noise but I am game to travel anywhere and everywhere.

The other benefit is that I do not need to worry about charging up the cart every time I take it out for a ride or concerned as to whether the charger will properly disconnect causing an overcharge and possibly a fire. Nor do I have a concern about checking battery water levels

[tuccillo]

I believe gas carts may have a lower operating cost. While the cost for electricity per mile is less with electric carts (about 2 cents/mile) than the cost of gasoline per mile with gas carts (about 4 cents/mile), you also need to consider the cost per mile for battery pack replacement for electric carts (about 10 cents/mile based on a battery pack life estimate from ParCar). Gas carts do have some maintenance costs but it is probably on the order of 2-3 cents/mile, depending on how much you drive. The net is the operating cost of gas carts should be about one-half of electric carts. Regardless, they don't differ enough to really matter. If you buy a new cart, the operating cost per year is a small percentage of what you paid for the cart. Regarding how long a cart will last, either gas or electric can be kept running as long as you want, up to the point where the frame falls apart from rust or parts are no longer available. I estimate engine life for a gas cart at about 4000 hours if you maintain it. For our driving habits, that is about 70K miles or nearly 20 years - it really isn't an issue.

Nationwide, electric carts outsell gas by a huge margin. Electrics are less costly to run and maintain and will last a lot longer.

My guess is that there are two reasons as to why there are so many gas carts here. Number one, Yamaha makes the best gas golf carts. They made them even better when the introduce EFI. I don't believe that the developer owns the Yamaha dealerships here, but there certainly seems to be a very close relationship between the two.

Secondly, before the advent of 8 six volt battery configuration and the Ranger batteries, electric were limited to a range of only about 20-25 miles on a charge. As The Villages grew, residents wanted to travel greater distances. The only solution was gas carts.

Also nationwide, there are more Club Cars (mostly electric) sold than any other brand. EX-Go sells more (again mostly electric) than third place finisher, Yamaha. Like I say, there's something different about The Villages where Yamaha seems to be the brand of choice.

Part of this could be the application. Most golf carts sold in the world are sold in fleets to be used on golf courses. If a course can get two rounds a day out it's fleet it will do very well. Until Club Car invented the 48 volt system, two rounds was pushing the limit. The 48 volt system allowed courses to get up to three rounds out of one charge. Still that's only about twelve miles. In The Villages and other golf cart communities people want to be able to travel much more than 12 miles in a day. Now with better electric technology I'm wondering if we'll see the pendulum begin to swing back to electrics.

[kbace6]

Wow. This could change the automobile landscape. An electric five passenger sedan that goes from zero to 60 mph in 6 seconds with a minimum range of 215 miles. And a $35,000 price tag that puts it into a very popular price range.

Tesla has $3.5 billion in preorders for this model. Can a Tesla golf cart be far off?

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160401/fec5842d34cff0aa490078d06e6cefb4.jpg

While I can appreciate your enthusiasm, can you come up with a single car that Elon Musk has sold at or even anywhere near the initial announced asking price? I'm a big fan of Tesla and Elon Musk. I even own stock in Tesla as well as Solar City, but truth be told, Elon Musk has never met a car price he has marketed. It is always wayyyy more than what he says it will be.

[jojo]

Our son lives in Los Altos Hills and just bought his second Tesla, The new one is driverless. He said it worked beautifully on the 280. I can't wrap my head around it yet although we do see the Google cars frequently when we are out there.

[Shimpy]

$42,000 for a car that will go only about 200 miles. You got to be kidding.

If you want to take a trip and leave early in the morning you wouldn't even make it to lunch time before you need to stop and recharge, probably for the rest of the day.

[Chi-Town]

Maybe this has been linked before, but this used to be science fiction.


https://youtu.be/8_lfxPI5ObM

[Chi-Town]

If you want to take a trip and leave early in the morning you wouldn't even make it to lunch time before you need to stop and recharge, probably for the rest of the day.
Tesla is opening supercharger stations which cut the charging time down to minutes.

https://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger

[tuccillo]

Tens of minutes.

Tesla is opening supercharger stations which cut the charging time down to minutes.

https://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger

[Nucky]

It really is a beautiful, sleek automobile. The real challenge is to change the culture of the public. Not going to be fast or easy to achieve. If the range was increased to 400 to 500 miles then it would be more acceptable. I struggle with having to go off course to find a charge on a road trip. We are like a pit crew when a comfort break is needed. I wouldn't want to go off our route more than 1/4 mile to get a charge. Congratulations if you were one of the first to get one.

[DeanFL]

Certainly there has been tons of market research done on the topic of non internal combustion vehicles. And certainly there is a huge market for electric cars as the Bolt and Tesla III. The gvt tax credits provide a springboard as well.
I would believe the sweet spot of that market is congested metro areas, with many commuters traveling less than 100 miles per day, some of it idling in traffic etc, where the second car is the commute car and another for occas longer distance needs, higher disposable income, environmentalists, etc etc. The prime growth market now being LA & SF & Seattle.

We have a Prius now for 5 years, and must say - it's great not having the int combustion engine running all the time - only when needed, and getting 50+mpg without trying.

For those with the $ and needs for an elec car - more power to them. I hope that market swells and that nat gas vehicle market blooms too.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I believe gas carts may have a lower operating cost. While the cost for electricity per mile is less with electric carts (about 2 cents/mile) than the cost of gasoline per mile with gas carts (about 4 cents/mile), you also need to consider the cost per mile for battery pack replacement for electric carts (about 10 cents/mile based on a battery pack life estimate from ParCar). Gas carts do have some maintenance costs but it is probably on the order of 2-3 cents/mile, depending on how much you drive. The net is the operating cost of gas carts should be about one-half of electric carts. Regardless, they don't differ enough to really matter. If you buy a new cart, the operating cost per year is a small percentage of what you paid for the cart. Regarding how long a cart will last, either gas or electric can be kept running as long as you want, up to the point where the frame falls apart from rust or parts are no longer available. I estimate engine life for a gas cart at about 4000 hours if you maintain it. For our driving habits, that is about 70K miles or nearly 20 years - it really isn't an issue.

Not sure about that. But having worked in the golf industry for thirty five years, I can tell you that the vast majority of golf courses opt for electric carts because, in the long run, they are less expensive to run and maintain.

[tuccillo]

I assume the typical golf course leases the electric carts so they never directly bear the cost of battery replacement? Cart ownership is different here as you may be replacing battery pack several times. That is where the majority of the operating cost will show up.

Not sure about that. But having worked in the golf industry for thirty five years, I can tell you that the vast majority of golf courses opt for electric carts because, in the long run, they are less expensive to run and maintain.

[Chi-Town]

All of us have lived through oil embargoes and OPEC production cuts. Any advance which lessens our dependence on an unstable economic and political energy source strengthens us.

[Shimpy]

Tesla is opening supercharger stations which cut the charging time down to minutes.

https://www.teslamotors.com/supercharger

They have that in the parking lot of Mimis restaurant in Ocala. I always notice it because my CB radio on my bike goes crazy with static as I pull in. I wonder how long it takes to recharge. Until they are as common as gas stations then taking a trip and hoping to find a charging station along your route would be a problem. I doubt this will come about in my lifetime.

[Dr Winston O Boogie jr]

I assume the typical golf course leases the electric carts so they never directly bear the cost of battery replacement? Cart ownership is different here as you may be replacing battery pack several times. That is where the majority of the operating cost will show up.

You're right about that, but the cost of the battery replacement has to be included in the lease agreement. The company that leases out the carts has to make a profit. One way or the other the batteries have to be paid for.

I did, however, know of several courses that owned their carts and in fact I had a good friend who owned the carts at his club and always had electric. He did extensive research on the issue and came the conclusion that he could make more money with electric. He kept his carts for years and had a full time mechanic to maintain them. I'm sure he replaced the batteries several times over the thirty years he was at that club.

[tuccillo]

I have played at numerous golf courses that have gas carts. I can only assume they opted for gas over electric because they believe it has a lower cost. ParCar estimated the cost for batteries at 10 cents/mile. As I indicated before, the actual operating costs are a small percentage of the cost of the cart.

You're right about that, but the cost of the battery replacement has to be included in the lease agreement. The company that leases out the carts has to make a profit. One way or the other the batteries have to be paid for.

I did, however, know of several courses that owned their carts and in fact I had a good friend who owned the carts at his club and always had electric. He did extensive research on the issue and came the conclusion that he could make more money with electric. He kept his carts for years and had a full time mechanic to maintain them. I'm sure he replaced the batteries several times over the thirty years he was at that club.