Any pros and cons on ez golf carts with new lithium batthey vs. yahama gas

[Laura Pintar]

We have had our gas cart for 5 years and like the quiet of electric plus no need to go get gas offen. Heard Starr and par car not good, but what about EZ GO with new Lithium battery

[dewilson58]

Oh Boy, here we go.

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

[villagetinker]

The range of a gas cart is about 2 to 2.5 times longer than an electric cart, the refuel time for gas is way shorter than electric. I cannot comment on the economics price of gas and maintenance versus cost of replacement batteries and charging, I will leave this to others.

[EdFNJ]

I have an electric with lithium. It has over 9000 miles and 2 1/2 years on it. I got 65-70 miles per charge on day 1 (a little less with heat or air cond running) and still get 65-70 per charge almost 3 years later (zero battery degradation). As for "time to charge" I plug it in once every 5-6 days at night and by morning it is fully charged. The charger is built in (like a Tesla :) ) and I just plug it in to the wall. No fuss, no need to go to a gas station or dump gas from a gas can,

My only suggestion is, **IF** you choose to get electric **ONLY** get lithium.

[Altavia]

Have an EZGO lithium with 4k mi, no problems, 70mi range, 8 yr warranty on battery with virtually no maintenance, 3 hr for full recharge, quiet, good acceleration, no exhaust fumes.

[Papa_lecki]

:popcorn::popcorn::popcorn:

[tactone@aol.com]

We have had our gas cart for 5 years and like the quiet of electric plus no need to go get gas offen. Heard Starr and par car not good, but what about EZ GO with new Lithium battery

I was going to buy one but quickly learned that there are 3 battery options. The lowest priced option will only get you 20-25 mile range, even though it’s lithium. The second and 3rd option became a little cost prohibitive for me. Good luck.

[midiwiz]

We have had our gas cart for 5 years and like the quiet of electric plus no need to go get gas offen. Heard Starr and par car not good, but what about EZ GO with new Lithium battery

Lithium costs as the last poster mentioned can get very high some places state $1500 yet this depends on the battery, it is possible based on the technology, that you could spend upwards of $8000 to replace them.

But all that really doesn't matter as much as what has been experienced with them. Your largest issues is Low Voltage typical batteries of the size you require have a problem if they hit 3v and lower basically in most common uses it's buy another one. Another is these batteries under certain conditions can get thermal runaway which can lead to it smoking or even exploding. There are 3 other issues with them.

With that said , in mist cases there is a remedy but it will take time, sometimes days, to find out if you saved your batteries or not.

Personally I don't get the noise complaint, but I'm used to motorcycles etc. I'd rather put gas in it and not worry about how much longer I have to go before a charge and no I don't have a gas can in the garage all my tools and mower are battery. Just not the golf cart just didn't make sense.

[RICH1]

i am a Yamaha Gas Cart owner, i wouldn't own anything else! I just bought mine because i wanted to make my life easier.. I would not rule out an electric Lithium cart in the future, but not till the battery issues get resolved.. Florida Heat Kills Batteries.... Good luck

[TPRLOC]

If you want terror in your life, buy a ParCar, or Star electric. I have owned both lost my a-s on the each , poor service, no parts available , went to Yamaha gas and have slept well ever since.

[nancyre]

We got a revolution cart, still new but about 25% less expensive than the EZ-Go. Again charger on board

[Pachine58]

So electric and green lithium batteries are great. But from a save the planet aspect they are a nightmare to the earth and humans. From the destruction of the forests to mine the lithium, poor wages and working conditions paid to minors.

The biggest problem is how to dispose of the millions of batteries each year. But when the battery comes to the end of its life, its green benefits fade. If it ends up in a landfill, its cells can release problematic toxins, including heavy metals. And recycling the battery can be a hazardous business, warns materials scientist Dana Thompson of the University of Leicester. Cut too deep into a Tesla cell, or in the wrong place, and it can short-circuit, combust, and release toxic fumes.

[jojo]

Had a Star cart for 12 years with almost 30000 miles. Sold for close to what we paid for it. Never had a mechanical problem or ran out of charge in the 10 years. Had a flat tire once. Have the EZGo Lithium cart now and love it. Charges quickly.

[bncuhler@verizon.net]

We love our EZ-GO lithium electric cart. Only one battery. Charges quickly, no fuss or muss. No maintenance like with gas. Life of battery could be 6-8 years. Yes, might cost $800-$900 to replace then, but we have not been paying for gas or maintenance. We live South of 44 and go up to play golf, go to Lake Sumter etc and still have more than half a charge. Quiet, no smell. All positive!

[Gunny2403]

Star is a Chinese product. I would be concerned about getting parts for repair.

[Freeda]

We bought an Evolution lithium battery cart recently after always having had golf carts, and are thrilled with the ease of charging, and the smooth, quiet ride.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

One more vote for the EZGO Elite lithium.
9K miles, zero issues, 60 miles range at 24mph.
rated for 2500 cycles (charge from 30% to 100%)
Thats past my expiration date.🎚

[Travelhunter123]

I have an electric with lithium. It has over 9000 miles and 2 1/2 years on it. I got 65-70 miles per charge on day 1 (a little less with heat or air cond running) and still get 65-70 per charge almost 3 years later (zero battery degradation). As for "time to charge" I plug it in once every 5-6 days at night and by morning it is fully charged. The charger is built in (like a Tesla :) ) and I just plug it in to the wall. No fuss, no need to go to a gas station or dump gas from a gas can,

My only suggestion is, **IF** you choose to get electric **ONLY** get lithium.

If you are going to go electric, check out the Atomic golf carts
They are;
Air Conditioned
Heated
Much more leg room
Adjustable seats
Windshield wipers and washer
Sirius XM Radio
Back up camera
Real headlights
Street legal
And much more
Similar price to Yamaha and Ezgo
I love mine would never get anything else

[ThirdOfFive]

We have had our gas cart for 5 years and like the quiet of electric plus no need to go get gas offen. Heard Starr and par car not good, but what about EZ GO with new Lithium battery
You run out of gas on some cart path somewhere, and it's a relatively easy matter for someone to get some gas to you. I'm thinking running out of electricity under the same scenario would be an entirely different matter.

[jmaccallum]

We have had our gas cart for 5 years and like the quiet of electric plus no need to go get gas offen. Heard Starr and par car not good, but what about EZ GO with new Lithium battery

EZGO has two 72 volt electric cart versions, Elite Lithium and and Deep Cycle (the one you water). Comparisons:

Both are 72 volt, however the Elite Lithium actually runs on a 56 volt system. The Deep Cycle is a true 72 volt system.

The Elite Lithium has a 11.7 hp (8.7 kW) motor. The Deep Cycle has a whopping 22.4 hp (16.7 kW) motor. For reference, gas carts have 13.5 hp motors. Deep Cycle power smokes a gas cart without smoking.

Both have AC controllers. The Elite has a 235 amp while the DeepCycle has a whopping 350 amp. More torque with the Deep Cycle, but both blow away the measly torque of a gas cart.

Both have direct drive motor shaft versus a clutch on gas carts. That’s why they get up and go so quick unless waiting behind a gas cart to slooowly get going especially up hills - say we have no hills in Florida - just get behind a gas cart when coming out of a tunnel or going across one of the big bridges, especially Spanish Springs!

The Elite Lithium requires no battery maintenance. The Deep Cycle requires watering. Watering once a month takes about 20 minutes or less than 5 minutes if you fork out $400 at the start for a watering kit. Then it’s less time and less messy than fueling up a gas cart.

Battery(ies) for both carts will last 7-8 years if taken care of - mainly watering Deep Cycle. At 5 years, cost to replace batteries on Deep Cycle is break even with gas cart’s fuel and maintenance over the same period. Get eight years out of the batteries and you are about $800 to $1,000 less than a gas cart over the same period.

Distance of travel will be about 25% more with Deep Cycle as compared to the Elite Lithium. Both will go from Spanish Springs to Fenny, play 18 holes of golf, and sight see on the way home with a lot of charge to spare.

Never visit a gas station with either, just plug in at home each night.

Cost per mile is about 2 cents for both versus 8 cents for a gas cart (does not include gas cart maintenance).

And, keep in mind these are not the 48 volt electric carts that formed most peoples opinion on electric carts. These are 72 volt, high torque, powerful, low maintenance carts with exceptional range.

As far as EZGO as a company, they are over 3 times bigger than their closest competitor.

I’m partial to the EZGO 72 volt Deep Cycle because I have a 2018. Best performing cart I’ve ever had. No maintenance except tire pressure and battery watering (get the watering kit). However, both are great carts. Smooth quiet ride, and no stink!

Hope this helps :popcorn:

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

Run out of gas or charge and you've kinda "got what ya had comin to ya"
With the gauge of either blaring at you.

[ThirdOfFive]

If you are going to go electric, check out the Atomic golf carts
They are;
Air Conditioned
Heated
Much more leg room
Adjustable seats
Windshield wipers and washer
Sirius XM Radio
Back up camera
Real headlights
Street legal
And much more
Similar price to Yamaha and Ezgo
I love mine would never get anything else
Wow! Sounds more like an expensive automobile than a golf cart.

But how much electricity do all those gizmos use? I'm only guessing here...but if you use items such as the heater or the A/C routinely, it cuts into your range significantly.

[Bay Kid]

You either like a battery cart or you own gas. Give me gas.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

You either like a battery cart or you own gas. Give me gas.
A jerky, smelly, noisy, hot cart that has NO guts? M'kay

[rsmurano]

Lithium batteries are going to run you a few thousand more $800-$900, depending on size of the lithium batteries, many thousands more. Over 8 years, is the cost justified of changing the batteries out vs doing an oil change/tune up each year?

[Warcats]

We have had our gas cart for 5 years and like the quiet of electric plus no need to go get gas offen. Heard Starr and par car not good, but what about EZ GO with new Lithium battery

I wish I had gotten a gas one.Moved here 5 months ago and didn't realize how important a good cart is here. From North of Sumpter I couldn't do a long drive say down to Fenney and back as battery life may not be enough.
Also didn't realize how cool it can get. Cool? Heck down right cold.LOL Will be trading in for a new one.

[JTLoehnert]

In Amelia too and also from Columbus. What part? I have an Evolution lithium cart, love it.

[Tomas]

The range of a gas cart is about 2 to 2.5 times longer than an electric cart, the refuel time for gas is way shorter than electric. I cannot comment on the economics price of gas and maintenance versus cost of replacement batteries and charging, I will leave this to others.

You can fill up a gas cart in a few minutes - charging a battery - longer of course

[jrref]

Wow! Sounds more like an expensive automobile than a golf cart.

But how much electricity do all those gizmos use? I'm only guessing here...but if you use items such as the heater or the A/C routinely, it cuts into your range significantly.

I have an atomic car and while the A/C and heater does cut the amount of range it's not "significant" surprisingly. Yes its like a small car. I like it because it has a metal cage around you and steel safety bars in the doors. I'm sure it's not as safe as a "real" car but way safer than a traditional golf cart where some people drive around without seat belts and with their leg hanging out of the cart. The 4 door Atomic cart is actually a little cheaper than a fully equipped EZGo electric cart. We like it a lot.

Also some people say, " the gas cart can go from one end of the Villages to the other while an electric may not make it " but i'm not sure many go that far often. For us in Osceola Hills it will take us 56 minutes by cart and 15 minutes by car to go to Fenney so we take the car for trips to Fenney. On the other hand to get to Ezell it will take us 25 minutes so we would probably take the cart.

[collie1228]

I replaced by Club Car electric cart with a new Yamaha Quiet 2, and while I love the Yamaha, I miss the extreme quiet and good acceleration of the Club Car. I thought about an EZ-GO lithium cart, but I think resale is going to be a problem. If you try to sell a lithium cart with 5 years on the batteries, be prepared for a big discount on its value.

[Mortal1]

Have an EZGO lithium with 4k mi, no problems, 70mi range, 8 yr warranty on battery with virtually no maintenance, 3 hr for full recharge, quiet, good acceleration, no exhaust fumes.

non-green energy to make your cart and battery and the energy you charge your cart with isn't green either...then the cost of refurbishing or disposing of the batteries.

Green energy people do not either understand how things work or just ignore the obvious.

[wjg74]

What are this carts costing .?

[Win1894]

So electric and green lithium batteries are great. But from a save the planet aspect they are a nightmare to the earth and humans. From the destruction of the forests to mine the lithium, poor wages and working conditions paid to minors.

The biggest problem is how to dispose of the millions of batteries each year. But when the battery comes to the end of its life, its green benefits fade. If it ends up in a landfill, its cells can release problematic toxins, including heavy metals. And recycling the battery can be a hazardous business, warns materials scientist Dana Thompson of the University of Leicester. Cut too deep into a Tesla cell, or in the wrong place, and it can short-circuit, combust, and release toxic fumes.

Thank you. These are great points that never seem to come out in the MSM regarding so called renewable energy sources - solar, wind, and battery storage. So the point is don't buy an EV to save the earth.

[btwalker]

On our lifestyle visit we had an ezgo lithium and absolutely loved it. I would not be concerned at all about range as we went from Marsh Bend to palmer and golfed 27 holes, then to Lake Sumter for early dinner and back down to Marsh Bend and still had 2/3 charge. From what I experienced going to full charge was only a couple of hours in most use cases.

That said we bought Yamaha gas for a few reasons.
1. It was available and the ezgo was not at the time.
2. The only electric we found available was the evolution and we couldn't find a lot of information about their history/reliability
3. The yamaha was a more comfortable ride then both the Ezgo and Evolution.

[Villages Kahuna]

Easy choice for me. I’ve owned, used as and been totally satisfied with E-Z-GO “wet” electric carts for more than 20 years. My batteries will need replacement in a year or so. When that’s needed, I intend to replace my wet batteries with lithium ion. My battery dealer-service provider, Battery Boys, tells me they can install Li batteries that will give me as much range as I need here in The Villages. They’re expensive, but need no maintenance and have a very long 100% warranty.

[Baldbaron]

We've had our EZ-GO Elite for about a year, and we couldn't be happier with it. It cost a premium $17k from Villages Golf Carts, but there is basically NO maintenance, 60+ miles of range in the two lithium battery packs, and with an 8-year warranty it'll probably be here when I ain't.

In the great Chugger/Hummer argument, I'm smack on the Hummer side!

[DAVES]

We have had our gas cart for 5 years and like the quiet of electric plus no need to go get gas offen. Heard Starr and par car not good, but what about EZ GO with new Lithium battery

This has been discussed over and over again. NOTHING IS PERFECT.

Lithium batteries have gotten cheaper, the reason why where they used to used nicads in rechargeable tools, Lithium batteries are taking over. They are lighter for the same capacity. It is even more so in a golf cart lead acid vs lithium.

A lead acid battery, the voltage falls off as the battery discharges making it easy and cheap to measure the remaining charge. Lead is also heavy. A lithium battery has a flat voltage curve, making it more difficult, less accurate and expensive to monitor the remaining run time.

Claimed range? The stated range, is likely optimistic and it goes down as batteries age.
Also, if you run the lights that too will cost you range.

Noise-I think the noise is a plus. People, perhaps even unaware of it can hear you are there.

[DAVES]

Easy choice for me. I’ve owned, used as and been totally satisfied with E-Z-GO “wet” electric carts for more than 20 years. My batteries will need replacement in a year or so. When that’s needed, I intend to replace my wet batteries with lithium ion. My battery dealer-service provider, Battery Boys, tells me they can install Li batteries that will give me as much range as I need here in The Villages. They’re expensive, but need no maintenance and have a very long 100% warranty.

I suggest you check. Changing from lead acid to lithium you will likely need a new charger and to replace the gauge that indicates state of charge.

[DAVES]

non-green energy to make your cart and battery and the energy you charge your cart with isn't green either...then the cost of refurbishing or disposing of the batteries.

Green energy people do not either understand how things work or just ignore the obvious.

When, SELLING, anything you point out the positives not the negatives. How things work?
I've wondered how memory in a digital camera works. I've asked,"experts," and discovered they don't know either. Best answer was vodoo.

[Cneigoot]

Please do yourself a service and check out the evolution golf carts at Village Discount Golf. I bought mine 2 months ago and absolutely loved it! Also, I think that they are less expensive than some of the other electric golf carts made by brand names like Yamaha Etc. The guy I worked with was called Ron Evans. They will work with you on a good deal. Good luck!

[Tbrazie]

We have had our gas cart for 5 years and like the quiet of electric plus no need to go get gas offen. Heard Starr and par car not good, but what about EZ GO with new Lithium battery

We have the EVOLUTION electric with Li battery and love it. Check it out.

[spofford]

We have a after market lithium battery in 2019 Club Car. Runs all over the villages and have built in charger on board. If you are nervous about distance,(we get 50 plus miles a Charge and a high speed motor), all you need is a heavy duty extension cord to charge. .
Also have a 2001 Club Car with lead acid batteries and we comfortable with a range of 35 miles.Our battery life had been 3.5 years, as golf cart does sit for 3 months a year.

[Vermilion Villager]

I wonder if they will install chargers at or near the town squares especially the new ones? Makes business sense to do that...go shopping or eating (AKA spend money) or dancing while you battery gets a quick charge....win/win!

[dewilson58]

If you are going to go electric, check out the Atomic golf carts
They are;
Air Conditioned
Heated
Much more leg room
Adjustable seats
Windshield wipers and washer
Sirius XM Radio
Back up camera
Real headlights
Street legal
And much more
Similar price to Yamaha and Ezgo
I love mine would never get anything else

Forgot to mention...................You get to slam the doors twice per golf shot!!!!! LOVELY!!!!

[Flyers999]

I purchased a 2012 Yamaha 48-v YRDE electric five years ago when my wife and I moved to The Villages. I bought it from a person on craigslist. It needed a dashboard and enclosure, which I bought from The Villages Golf carts in Spanish Springs. Total I paid $4k. Last year, I replaced the batteries(Motive), which I bought, again from the same place(TV Golf Carts) for $1000. I’m able to play any golf course North of 466A, so I’m going to stick with the electric; for now, I’m happy paying $1k every four years for batteries. I should mention that I only use the cart for golf, if I used it for everyday errands I would get a gas cart with metal/glass doors.

There’s no right answer here. As mentioned, the gas carts are smelly, noisy and they need period maintenance that any gas engine needs, i.e., change oil, sparkplugs, etc. There’s no such thing as a quiet gas engine. Ever hear of a quiet motorcycle or gas lawn mower? Many of the Villages cart paths go near homes. How would you like for a motorcycle to pass next to your back yard every three minutes? Even the aforementioned Yamaha Quiet-tech is not as quiet as an electric cart. And all of them get louder the older they get.

As far as the environment, 80% of a Lead-Acid battery is recycled.
Lead-Acid Battery Recycling: What You Need to Know - CJD E-Cycling (https://www.cjdecycling.com/lead-acid-battery-recycling-need-know/)
The same can’t be said for a Lithium battery. On the other hand, a Lithium battery lasts longer so fewer of them are disposed of every year.

Another country heard from. :blahblahblah:

[Vermilion Villager]

I purchased a 2012 Yamaha 48-v YRDE electric five years ago when my wife and I moved to The Villages. I bought it from a person on craigslist. It needed a dashboard and enclosure, which I bought from The Villages Golf carts in Spanish Springs. Total I paid $4k. Last year, I replaced the batteries(Motive), which I bought, again from the same place(TV Golf Carts) for $1000. I’m able to play any golf course North of 466A, so I’m going to stick with the electric; for now, I’m happy paying $1k every four years for batteries. I should mention that I only use the cart for golf, if I used it for everyday errands I would get a gas cart with metal/glass doors.

There’s no right answer here. As mentioned, the gas carts are smelly, noisy and they need period maintenance that any gas engine needs, i.e., change oil, sparkplugs, etc. There’s no such thing as a quiet gas engine. Ever hear of a quiet motorcycle or gas lawn mower? Many of the Villages cart paths go near homes. How would you like for a motorcycle to pass next to your back yard every three minutes? Even the aforementioned Yamaha Quiet-tech is not as quiet as an electric cart. And all of them get louder the older they get.

As far as the environment, 80% of a Lead-Acid battery is recycled.
Lead-Acid Battery Recycling: What You Need to Know - CJD E-Cycling (https://www.cjdecycling.com/lead-acid-battery-recycling-need-know/)
The same can’t be said for a Lithium battery. On the other hand, a Lithium battery lasts longer so fewer of them are disposed of every year.

Another country heard from. :blahblahblah:
You absolutely CAN recycle Lithium batteries!!!
Sustainability | Tesla (https://www.tesla.com/support/sustainability-recycling)

[JMintzer]

You absolutely CAN recycle Lithium batteries!!!
Sustainability | Tesla (https://www.tesla.com/support/sustainability-recycling)

According to "non-Tesla" sources, Tesla recycles about 60% of the battery...

[kkingston57]

Forgot to mention...................You get to slam the doors twice per golf shot!!!!! LOVELY!!!!

Agree, except for at or near a green. Then you get at two or more shots for two slams. I have seen guys take 6-7 shots around greens, particularly bad bunker players.

[Vermilion Villager]

According to "non-Tesla" sources, Tesla recycles about 60% of the battery...
I noticed you forgot to name the "non-Tesla" sources.....Did you hit the reply button too soon????

[JMintzer]

I noticed you forgot to name the "non-Tesla" sources.....Did you hit the reply button too soon????

Happy?

What Does Tesla Do With Old Batteries? (https://www.motorbiscuit.com/what-does-tesla-do-with-old-batteries/)

[jojo]

In Amelia too and also from Columbus. What part? I have an Evolution lithium cart, love it.

Not sure if you are referring to my post. We lived in Upper Arlington for 37 years.

[dewilson58]

Agree, except for at or near a green. Then you get at two or more shots for two slams. I have seen guys take 6-7 shots around greens, particularly bad bunker players.

Let's not even mention if there are two golfers in one of those tin cans.

:1rotfl::1rotfl:

[tophcfa]

If you are going to go electric, check out the Atomic golf carts
They are;
Air Conditioned
Heated
Much more leg room
Adjustable seats
Windshield wipers and washer
Sirius XM Radio
Back up camera
Real headlights
Street legal
And much more
Similar price to Yamaha and Ezgo
I love mine would never get anything else

If I want all that, I will drive my truck. If I want a golf cart experience, I will take the Yamaha. And as Dewi pointed out, I don’t want to open and close a door for each golf shot.

[brooksey649]

Check out the Evolution, Great price. Great warranty

[EdFNJ]

I have an electric with lithium. It has over 9000 miles and 2 1/2 years on it. I got 65-70 miles per charge on day 1 (a little less with heat or air cond running) and still get 65-70 per charge almost 3 years later (zero battery degradation). As for "time to charge" I plug it in once every 5-6 days at night and by morning it is fully charged. The charger is built in (like a Tesla :) ) and I just plug it in to the wall. No fuss, no need to go to a gas station or dump gas from a gas can,

My only suggestion is, **IF** you choose to get electric **ONLY** get lithium.

If you are going to go electric, check out the Atomic golf carts
They are;
Air Conditioned
Heated
Much more leg room
Adjustable seats
Windshield wipers and washer
Sirius XM Radio
Back up camera
Real headlights
Street legal
And much more
Similar price to Yamaha and Ezgo
I love mine would never get anything else

If you had noticed the "clues" in my post (heat and AC) you would know that is what I have. Actually it is my second one and have had them since they came to T.V. but even they have downsides the main one being they are ONLY game in town should something happen to them. If they are gone you are on your own. There likely isn't another place in the country AFAIK that sells or services "ATOMIC carts" (which are really Chinese street vehicles).. You can of course buy them yourself from Aliexpress.com for about 1/4 of the price if you want to buy 4 at a time, pay for shipping, import duty and pick them up at a port sonewhere on the east coast. If you search that site you will see ALL the vehicles they have sold in the past and that they sell now (and are NOT called ATOMIC.

[DaleDivine]

I have an electric with lithium. It has over 9000 miles and 2 1/2 years on it. I got 65-70 miles per charge on day 1 (a little less with heat or air cond running) and still get 65-70 per charge almost 3 years later (zero battery degradation). As for "time to charge" I plug it in once every 5-6 days at night and by morning it is fully charged. The charger is built in (like a Tesla :) ) and I just plug it in to the wall. No fuss, no need to go to a gas station or dump gas from a gas can,

My only suggestion is, **IF** you choose to get electric **ONLY** get lithium.
You only plug it in every 5-6 days and can still get 65 miles? that's pretty good.
:bigbow::bigbow:

[dewilson58]

In addition to that, China is a country with slave labor that has stolen our top secret data for decades in order to directly compete with Americans in technology and to build their military to a point where they are threatening us.

If you support China over American, you have more than golf carts to think about. You probably buy from Amazon over the Mom & Pop down the road because the "convenience" to you, so you support a multi-billionaire over a family trying to survive.

As you did, buying in The Villages.

:MOJE_whot::MOJE_whot::MOJE_whot:

[jrref]

What do you search for to see the atomic car vehical on that web site?

I'm also concerned that there is only one dealer for Atomic Cars in the US but i got a chance to look at their operation and it appears to be a nice setup but you are right, anything can potentially happen.

I'm also a little concerned on the lack of technical information on the internet and DIY groups modifying and or maintaining this cart. I'm sure it's not terribly complicated but i would like to know the manufacturer so if anything did happen to the dealer we could get parts. My guess is there are not enough sold yet and they probably have a good track and maintenance record or we would probably be seeing lot's of posts.

All these carts have pro's and con's but it depends on your needs. For me i wanted safety and comfort becasue i'm using it as local vehicle as well as a golf cart.

[kkingston57]

We have the EVOLUTION electric with Li battery and love it. Check it out.

Test drove an Evolution. I am 6ft 2 inches tall. Accelerator pedal is too close to the seat. My leg is almost at a 90 degree angle to the pedal. Not comfortable for me. 1 year ago, witth Vilages accessories, it was less than 10K including tax.

[EdFNJ]

You only plug it in every 5-6 days and can still get 65 miles? that's pretty good.
:bigbow::bigbow:
Correct. It's not really the "days" it's the miles because if I go 50 miles in one day then I would need a charge the next night but 99% of the time I do go 5-6 days. When I use HEAT or A/C it will be a bit less (the heater pulls a LOT more amps than the A/C) but I rarely use either. So comparing "apples to apples" as most electric carts have no heater or A/C 65 miles per charge is very accurate as I keep records of traveled miles between every charge. I could probably do another 5-6 miles but don't want to take the chance of running the battery all the way down to zero which would be the same for gas or electric because with either case you'd need 3rd party assistance. :) In 4 years I've only been stuck ONCE which was when the cart was 2 days old because I wanted to see how far I could go! It was 72 miles when it conked out. :)

[Hacker1]

Star is a Chinese product. I would be concerned about getting parts for repair.

Star Carts are assembled in Greenville, SC, USA. Some of the parts are made in China, plus other countries, as are the parts for all or nearly all other golf carts.
We purchased a new Star Cart in 2010, after reading as many reviews of them as I could find.. I found that the nay sayers had not actually owned a Star Cart, while, almost without exception, those who had actually owned one had positive things to say. We have had very good service from our Star, also from the Star dealers, and have had no trouble getting the few parts we have needed. We've had no problems with range, we live in the central part of TV, and have driven the cart to the Nancy Lopez area, golfed there, and since the new bridges, have gone to the Fenney area and back with charge to spare. The original set of batteries lasted 6 years. The second set disappointed us by lasting only 3 years. They were Trojans, supposedly same as original, however, I was later told that Trojan company had been sold, & were then making inferior products. I now have a set of Deka batteries just under 2 years, so far so good, will have to see how they last. When we purchased the cart, the dealer gave us a great deal on a battery water fill system, that works great, we water about once a month, takes less than a minute. Uses about a gallon per year of distilled water.
In the next couple of years or so, I think we will be shopping the new Lithium Ion battery options. I think I like the Evolution as it appears to be more cart for the money, however I expect to look at several brands. Really appreciate this discussion, especially the experiences with the various brands of golf carts with Lithium batteries.

[coffeebean]

You run out of gas on some cart path somewhere, and it's a relatively easy matter for someone to get some gas to you. I'm thinking running out of electricity under the same scenario would be an entirely different matter.

That is what Kart-Aide is for.

[coffeebean]

A jerky, smelly, noisy, hot cart that has NO guts? M'kay

I am given a Yamaha Quiet Tech gas cart as a loaner when I bring my electric (not Lithium batteries) Yamaha cart in for annual maintenance. I honestly can not get a Quiet Tech cart to have a smooth start, no matter how much I try. I've been told it is "operator error". For me, it is "jerky". It is smelly and definitely noisy compared to my electric cart. Hubby and I do not play golf so there is never a need for long distance range that the gas carts offer.

[coffeebean]

Please do yourself a service and check out the evolution golf carts at Village Discount Golf. I bought mine 2 months ago and absolutely loved it! Also, I think that they are less expensive than some of the other electric golf carts made by brand names like Yamaha Etc. The guy I worked with was called Ron Evans. They will work with you on a good deal. Good luck!

Do the Evolution golf carts have self cancelling directionals? That is one feature of my electric Yamaha that was not offered by other cart manufacturers other than Par Car at the time. We did not want a Par Car so we purchased the Yamaha. I will not own a golf cart without those self cancelling directionals.

[blueash]

I noticed you forgot to name the "non-Tesla" sources.....Did you hit the reply button too soon????


Happy?

What Does Tesla Do With Old Batteries?

Thanks for the link which you post to support your contention that Tesla does not recycle 60% of their lithium batteries as a poster wrote. I read the link. Every single story on that website is an anti-Tesla story.
And even given that bias, the article says:
Tesla says that it recycles 60 percent of the components from its lithium-ion batteries once they’ve reached end of life.
Then further in the story, which is filled with links appears this sentence:
Unfortunately, the majority of dead lithium-ion batteries end up in a landfill or get stored for long periods of time.
There is no link, no reference and no evidence presented, just a sentence.
Elsewhere in the article is a link to a story on Medium. Click HERE (https://medium.com/tradr/teslas-approach-to-recycling-is-the-way-of-the-future-for-sustainable-production-5af99b62aa0e) to go to that story.

In that story it is reported that 60% of Tesla batteries are recycled and additionally 10% are re-used in other applications so that means 70% of the batteries do not go into waste.

The gist of all this is that lithium batteries in Teslas are aggressively being handled in a green manner, but also a cost reducing manner. Ultimately if recycling didn't make dollar sense it wouldn't be happening. If you want to hate on Musk, go ahead. If you want to hate on lithium carts, go ahead. But to attack lithium carts because their batteries cannot be recycled and something something Tesla, is not accurate, as proven by the link you provided.

[EdFNJ]

I am given a Yamaha Quiet Tech gas cart as a loaner when I bring my electric (not Lithium batteries) Yamaha cart in for annual maintenance. I honestly can not get a Quiet Tech cart to have a smooth start, no matter how much I try. I've been told it is "operator error". For me, it is "jerky". It is smelly and definitely noisy compared to my electric cart. Hubby and I do not play golf so there is never a need for long distance range that the gas carts offer. It's because the engine stops when you come to a full stop. That reminds me of our first test drive of ANY golf cart when me moved down here in 2017. It was a Yahmamamahah and every time I STOPPED the engine (LOL or so I thought) STALLED. Drove me nuts and that alone eliminated the gasser for me. I absolutely HATE that. I have the same "feature" on my car which I have to disable every time I turn the key. I actually find it dangerous when having to merge into heavy or fast moving traffic from a stop in my CAR.

[Shadow8IA]

We went to buy an Ez-Go lithium this week. The only one the Villages carries is the Sirrius & we were told it can’t be set over 20 mph. Sometimes you need the little extra mph for passing. The Star can be set to 23mph. We’re still trying to decide what to buy & where to get it.

[EdFNJ]

Do the Evolution golf carts have self cancelling directionals? That is one feature of my electric Yamaha that was not offered by other cart manufacturers other than Par Car at the time. We did not want a Par Car so we purchased the Yamaha. I will not own a golf cart without those self cancelling directionals. I agree but you can get around that with a $15 beeper that beeps so loud when you turn on your signals you'd have to be totally deaf not to hear it AND/OR an LED strip on the front left and right pillars that can be seen even in blazing sunlight.

[EdFNJ]

We went to buy an Ez-Go lithium this week. The only one the Villages carries is the Sirrius & we were told it can’t be set over 20 mph. Sometimes you need the little extra mph for passing. The Star can be set to 23mph. We’re still trying to decide what to buy & where to get it. They might be telling you that for legal reasons as well as liability reasons because if they do that the cart is no longer considered a golf cart by Florida law. If THE DEALER DOES IT, no matter what disclaimer you sign they are breaking the law. Once you get it, Google is your friend.

[philnpat]

EZGO has two 72 volt electric cart versions, Elite Lithium and and Deep Cycle (the one you water). Comparisons:

Both are 72 volt, however the Elite Lithium actually runs on a 56 volt system. The Deep Cycle is a true 72 volt system.

The Elite Lithium has a 11.7 hp (8.7 kW) motor. The Deep Cycle has a whopping 22.4 hp (16.7 kW) motor. For reference, gas carts have 13.5 hp motors. Deep Cycle power smokes a gas cart without smoking.

Both have AC controllers. The Elite has a 235 amp while the DeepCycle has a whopping 350 amp. More torque with the Deep Cycle, but both blow away the measly torque of a gas cart.

Both have direct drive motor shaft versus a clutch on gas carts. That’s why they get up and go so quick unless waiting behind a gas cart to slooowly get going especially up hills - say we have no hills in Florida - just get behind a gas cart when coming out of a tunnel or going across one of the big bridges, especially Spanish Springs!

The Elite Lithium requires no battery maintenance. The Deep Cycle requires watering. Watering once a month takes about 20 minutes or less than 5 minutes if you fork out $400 at the start for a watering kit. Then it’s less time and less messy than fueling up a gas cart.

Battery(ies) for both carts will last 7-8 years if taken care of - mainly watering Deep Cycle. At 5 years, cost to replace batteries on Deep Cycle is break even with gas cart’s fuel and maintenance over the same period. Get eight years out of the batteries and you are about $800 to $1,000 less than a gas cart over the same period.

Distance of travel will be about 25% more with Deep Cycle as compared to the Elite Lithium. Both will go from Spanish Springs to Fenny, play 18 holes of golf, and sight see on the way home with a lot of charge to spare.

Never visit a gas station with either, just plug in at home each night.

Cost per mile is about 2 cents for both versus 8 cents for a gas cart (does not include gas cart maintenance).

And, keep in mind these are not the 48 volt electric carts that formed most peoples opinion on electric carts. These are 72 volt, high torque, powerful, low maintenance carts with exceptional range.

As far as EZGO as a company, they are over 3 times bigger than their closest competitor.

I’m partial to the EZGO 72 volt Deep Cycle because I have a 2018. Best performing cart I’ve ever had. No maintenance except tire pressure and battery watering (get the watering kit). However, both are great carts. Smooth quiet ride, and no stink!

Hope this helps :popcorn:

And with my 2021 Yamaha gas I can make 2 rounds trips to Disney (not legally) and a round of golf at Havana with no worries.

[coffeebean]

I agree but you can get around that with a $15 beeper that beeps so loud when you turn on your signals you'd have to be totally deaf not to hear it AND/OR an LED strip on the front left and right pillars that can be seen even in blazing sunlight.

Those loud directionals drive me crazy. I can hear them on carts that are clear across the road. Yikes....so loud. The self canceling directionals on my cart are silent but the cart has visible yellow LED lights at eye level on the pillars to let me know the directional is activated.