Golf Carts...Electric or Gas?
 

Which is better for playing golf and running around TV..gas or electric?
Also, I have noticed there are electric carts that advertise 36 Volt and 48 Volt systems. Which is better? Do the golf courses permit gas carts?

Moving there in October and we are trying to determine that type of cart to buy? Appreciate your suggestions. :wave:

Enjoy all the responses you will be receiving!!!!!!!

Gas people love gas, Electric people love electric.

You should rent both and decide.

Gas people like not running out of power in the 32 square mile bubble.
Electric people like the lack of smell in the tunnels and garages.

Definitely 48v. Just my opinion (:22yikes:)..8 Six Volt configuration.

Then you must decide.........new vs. used. If used, from a Villager or a dealer. Reconditioned or not.

Do a search on this site, there have been a lot of threads on this.

Good Luck.

Oh...................and WELCOME TO TV!!!!

You will get no consensus to that question. It used to be that range was a factor in favor of gas, but electrics have improved range. Odor, raw gas and/or exhaust was a negative for gas carts, but, IMO, newer gas carts are better with exhaust odor, and the increased number of gas stations has made gasoline storage in the garage less necessary. To me, gas carts do not emit raw gas odors when sitting.

Having owned both, I can see advantages to both. My electric was much quieter to ride in. My gas cart is always available to me since it doesn't need to sit on the charger for hours. Realistically, either will serve your needs. Just depends on what characteristics are important to you and which are not.

Go gas. Got rid of electric and got gas. No more messing around filling batteries with water. Gas is always ready to go and no limit on how far you can go.

Up to this point the posters were right in there advice, rent both, understand the advantages and disadvantages of both and make a decision based on how you will use the cart. Now Fredman has jumped in with a bias...he doesn't own or ever driven an electric cart 60 miles around TV so I need to respond as an electric owner. We have two electric carts, a decision made after renting gas carts here for the last three years. We made the decision based on range, quiet, not having to deal with the smell (you can do the breath test in the tunnels) easy charge and auto fill systems. I have driven from Brownwood to Glenview, played 18 holes, went to LSL for lunch and back to Brownwood for drinks with friends. Distance was just over 60 miles and I still had plenty left. Having said all that, I agree with the other comments that you need to find what works for you and don't listen to those that have a bias on here.....you will have to use it, more importantly pay for it so it should be what will meet your lifestyle.

Just realize that "60 mile" range advertised will drop as your batteries age. Depending on amount of use you could see that range start dropping after 18+ months. Soon thereafter you will be deciding on whether or not to try that distance you used to be able to make, or replace the batteries and start over with the 60 mile range. This was the delema I did not like, and the reason I went to gas.

We all have our biases and beliefs....which is why they make both.

This is correct. A good rule of thumb is you will lose about 5 to 10 miles per year if you use and maintain a cart the way many use their cart in the villages. Great range when new but diminishes to the point the cart is fully depleted in 15 miles which makes the cart not the most useful.

Who would let their batteries get that depleted?

Where will you be living? If you'll be driving a golf cart from Brownwood to Spanish Sorings you'll need a gas cart. We live near Spanish Springs and Brownwood is a 56 minute drive on a cart so we decided not to worry about if the cart would make it and take a car when going there as I wouldn't want to spend 2 hours on the round trip. My husband wanted a gas cart but I couldn't stand the noise on the ones we tested. We went electric and he found a cart with 8 6 volt batteries which is the configuration he wanted. We have 6 6 volt batteries at home and the cart is very slow but only used on the golf course. The cart we bought has easy fill batteries and seat belts. Good luck!!

The Villages has invested a lot of $$ into their 3 Golf Car Stores/Service centers which are conveniently located in the Town Squares. They push the Yahama gas carts. You will see more Yahama carts here than anything else. Probably 2:1.

That said....we rented gas carts when visiting and had a blast with them......Then we rented an electric cart......Life changer! We loved the smooth, QUIET ride, no gas fumes, etc.

Fast forward and we own 2 electric carts. We find them to be very easy to maintain. The big thing is to plug them in at bedtime, every night, as a routine, just like locking the doors and turning out the lights. There is no spark plugs, oil changes, trips to the gas station etc.

To us they seem to be much easier to maintain then gas carts. They certainly are much more pleasant to ride in and to drive. We can carry on a quiet conversation in our cart. good luck doing that in a as cart.

The gas carts can be modified to be quieter for the occupants. But they still emit fumes and have a more jerky ride.

Our electric carts have 48 volts. One has a 6/8 volt configuration the other has a 8/6 volt configuration. The 8/6s provides greater range. But we can take both carts from Brownwood to 441, back to LSL then home, near Brownwood with confidence. Never had a battery issue. Hubby plays a round of golf, he comes home and we go to lunch them maybe get groceries. Then off again to the square for dinner and entertainment. We love exploring new areas in our electric carts.

Our friends who have gas carts are equally loyal to them. Just check out all the options. There are many!! You will also find some really good deals on used carts so don't feel that you have to buy new. Just FYI...

Golf Carts are just plan FUN, whether use end up with gas or electric. You will love yours!
Good luck with your decision.

Steve, we've had an electric golf cart since 2007 and have never experienced what you describe.
We've never run out of charge or been "depleted".
We golf and then go out to dinner, etc. Normal stuff.

We much prefer electric because it is quiet, no odor and great range.
You will hear a lot of bias on this site (including me) because people are passionate about their choices.
People are right when they say to rent, and then make a decision.

Its all about range.The gas carts have a big advantage when it comes to that.I believe because I have an electric that the gas carts can go well over 200 miles on one fill up.Thats pretty darn good.My electric has 8 6 volt batteries.I have a high speed motor and curtis cab doors and after market seats which are really heavy,3 times that of typical bench seats.If i`am lucky I get maybe 45 miles on a charge.I live in the center of the villages.I can get to any of the squares in less then 30 minutes.I like electric mainly because they are so quiet and easy to maintain.If your the type of person thats going to go 60 plus miles a day in your golf cart then by all means get gas.

We have a gas Yamaha from Carts and Clubs in Ocala. I believe it is noticeably quieter than the gas Yamahas from The Villages Golf Car Store.

Gas vs. electric seems to be almost a religious issue. Test drive both. We looked at both. Here is my summary:

Electric: quieter
Gas: less to fiddle with - just put gas in it, range of almost 250 miles on a tank full

We have a gas Yamaha four seater and an electric Par Car. Love them both for different reasons just like our kids.

. They are both used. The Carts. The kids are getting close to 50 but still look new and nice to me.

GAS. 50+ miles per gallon. I am on the go with no time to worry about if I will make it home. No need to carry a rope to be pulled home with gas.

Gas golf carts are permitted on all Village courses. Now, the question of gas or electric. My advice would be gas. Other reason is that the Villages is such a vast area now, you don't want to have to worry about whether or not you will get back home in your electric cart, particularly at night when you need your lights on. With regards to the environment the gas cart is just as eco friendly as the electric. The reason being that when your batteries need replacing on the electric cart, you now have to dispose of 6-8 batteries full of acid. So,my advise, go gas and always use the higher octane gas in it.

For us it's mostly about range. We have a gas Yamaha and can drive from The Villages to Fort Lauderdale on a tank of gas. (not sure what the Florida State Police would think of this) Fill it up with gas and you're back to 250 miles immediately. No need to wait for an overnight charge.
Maintenance is simple. One, possibly two oil changes a year. Air filter and plug every other oil change. Very inexpensive.
Also, gas carts generally have a better resale value.

I posted the exact question before moving here. I received one very critical response making it seem like I would be irresponsible if I didn't get an electric cart. Regardless, I'm glad I chose a gas cart for two reasons.

We have stains in our driveway from where one of my friends with an electric cart parked after it had rained. Would hate to worry about that all the time and think I was responsible for doing that on someone else's driveway - especially if they have pavers or other expensive driveway treatments.

I've also seen near accidents in the parking areas at the golf courses because electric carts are so quiet and people don't notice an electric cart had pulled behind them. Of course (not to be mean but it's true) a large percentage of folks here have hearing loss so that may not make much difference in those cases.

I noticed that almost all the golf carts for sale on this forum are electric. Makes me think they are wanting to replace them. Could be wrong.

You did notice that The Villages Golf Carts have added electric to their lineup......seems the demand has increased so they responded. Technology changes things.

I had an electric cart and was always worrying if there was enough "juice" to make it home --especially at night. I always thought that gas powered was a glorified lawn mower. That was until I bought one-- now I love it and would never go back. Gotta decide extra noise or range --we went with range.

Unless your owner's manual specifically calls for something higher than 87 octane unleaded fuel, there is no reason to use a higher octane. Using higher octane than required in an internal combustion engine has no benefits. These are low compression ratio engines (around 8:1) - little chance for pre-ignition.

I believe you will see a uptick in demand for electric carts if/when lithium-ion batteries become more affordable. They are substantially lighter than the current lead-acid batteries, have a much longer lifespan, can hold more charge, take less time to charge, and are maintenance free. They are currently much more expensive than lead-acid batteries, hence little demand.

I agree that the technology will improve. But I also believe the range argument is weak with the current technology also. I can go anywhere in TV including driving at night with lights and have never come close to running out of "juice". I seriously doubt if anyone actually drives their carts more than 40 - 50 miles a day at most. Few people in the SS area drive to Brownwood and few down here to SS. I did that once and played golf at Lopez and the total distance was about 57 miles including side trips for drinks and lunch. Even when I start to lose range (if I lose range) I doubt it will be a big deal. The gas guys that can do 400 miles never do 400 miles. Charging time is not an issue, I plug in every night so full charge is always available the next day plus I use a Battery Minder when the cart sits for a week or two. As I said earlier, there isn't a right answer, only the bias of individuals so the OP needs to do what is right for him and investigate. He will make the right decision.....for his situation.

My fiance does not like Yamaha carts because of the braking system. Their carts tend to jerk when releasing the break. She seems to prefer club car carts or carts that have an automatic brake when they come to a stop. As far as gas -vs- electric, I can understand that electric carts are quieter. No wonder there are so many hybrids on the road today.

I don't believe that range is all that much of an issue either, at least for a battery pack in good shape. A lot of the arguments against electric carts will disappear with lithium-ion batteries, at least for me. For the people I know, gas outnumbers electric by at least 10 to 1.

Why high octane in gas carts?
 

I assume gas carts have four cycle engines similar to a lawn mower. Why would they require high octane gas? High octane gas is for high compression engines. :wave:

High octane gas
 

I agree that there would be no need for high octane gas in a golf cart. :smiley:

One last comment then I will get off this subject. If you decide to investigate electric take a look at ParCar and StarEV. Both are National companies and to the best of my knowledge, only build electric products for both recreation and industrial applications. Both are represented but outside TV. One of the restrictions here is that if TV operates a business inside the boundary's of TV they will not permit competing businesses. Which is one of the reasons you will see recommendations on here for companies outside TV.

Golf Carts...Electric or Gas?
 

Suggestions on who rents electric carts please. We have rented gas but before we decide which kind to purchase we would like to rent an electric. Thanks all.

When I moved here in 2006 most carts were electric and whereupon electric passed one another in opposite directions on the multi-modal paths the only notice was a stirring of wind. Today most are gas carts and when encountering one in the opposite direction you hear the roar of get out of the way.

Clearly battery operated anything are limited because batteries store power and do not produce power. so eventually as they age storage capacity is lessen.

So the choice gas or electric depends on your intended use. some folks use their cart like a second car. some like me use it for only golf and most times I walk.

Because of this I hem and haw between gas and electric. I like the quiet if electric and the ease of care but like the thought of more distance

I have been following lithium for three years but it doesn't seem to be living up to its reputation and given the problems in aviation with this type of battery...................................

Virtually all electric and hybrid cars use lithium-ion batteries. It is a well established technology. They are pricey but have good energy density, are light weight, require no maintenance, and last a long time.

I did own an electric cart and I do have a bias. I believe that it is appx. 15 miles from Lopez to brownwood so i am hard pressed to believe your trip was anywhere near 60 miles

Well if you want the details it was from Hillsborough to Hadley to pick up my golfing partner who was renting for the month of March, then to Lopez and played golf then to SS for food and drink and to look at some of the older neighborhoods then down Morse to 44 to show him the new construction, the Rohan, the ball fields and shooting range. Then to Brownwood for a couple more drinks and to show him the progress. From their back to Hadley and then back to Hillsborough. As I recall when I got home I had done close to 60 miles based on the speedometer. My point was that you can cover TV easily with electric but honestly, that is a long way in a golf cart and I don't do that often. The cart was a Star EV. My daily use seldom exceeds 10 - 15 miles plus golf and I seldom go above LSL unless I'm playing Glenview. I suspect most runs are in that same range.

I'm curious why you did the OP if you owned electric before.

We rented from Don Cunningham. (352) 391-2564
He has 2 and 4 seaters gas and electric. All of his golf carts have seat belts.
Or you can e-mail him at don22560@yahoo.com

We had a problem one morning and he was there within 15 minutes to fix it.

And the best answer is......................


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Coming...................


Here it is......................




One of each. There are pro's and con's to each. Everything from original cost, resale value, ease of maintenance, range, cost to replace batteries, noise, smell, and many many others. I have one of each and enjoy both for different reasons. There is only one con for electric that for me is a game changer and why it would not be my only cart.

If you own and drive an electric cart it's not a matter of if you will be towed home, but when. It will happen. Might be user error, age problem, or many other issues, but at some point you will be towed home. You will not get the plug all the way in the night before, you will forget to add water, leave the lights on, go to far, something, but it will happen. Now all the electric fans will chime in and say "never happened to me", but just wait it will happen.

However I still love my electric cart and drive it often. But I still keep a tow rope in the glove box.

This may be the first time I have read one of your posts and not agreed or at least understand your point, so I respectfully disagree.

It does however bring up a good point for the OP. If you go electric, get an on dash digital voltmeter. A full tank is about 51 volts, an empty tank is about 46.5 volts. If you are sitting at a stop sign and your meter says 47.5, it may be time to head for home...:D

Get a cart where your normal daily usage does not discharge the cart below 48.5 volts. How deeply you discharge the pack is part of maintenance.

When discussing range, there are two interesting pieces of information 1. how far and 2. what was ending voltage. People often do not pay attention to number 2 and then wonder why their packs last 26 months.

When my batteries were two years old I did a couple of tests. I will not bore you here. If you wish to be bored, see this post: https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...80-post13.html

These same batteries are approaching end of life. They were 5 years old this past February. My wife and I live in Mallory, we recently played Glenview, came home, then went for a ride to Brownwood. Voltage when done was about 47.6.

Good luck!

I hate messing with batteries!