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jdodwyer 08-19-2016 03:09 PM

gas or electric?
 
Dear TV Folks,
Moving to the Villages, should we go with gas or electric golf cart?

villagetinker 08-19-2016 03:13 PM

This has been discussed several times in past posts. Please do a search on this site, you will find lots of opinions and information.
Hope this helps.

Fredman 08-19-2016 03:15 PM

You are going to get more advice than you ever wanted. All of it conflicting. Try both and make your decision.

rubicon 08-19-2016 03:28 PM

Dear OP You will find strong opinions on both sides and both sides have good arguments as both work and have their advantage.

I had an electric cart for 9 years liked the quiet. However did not like replacing batteries or charging them daily. Did not like the idea that after 2 years the battery power began to lessen.

The Villages growth is striking. I live on the south side of 466 and by cart the farthest golf course north, for me is six miles and south its about 9 miles. This caused me distance anxiety. so I bought a gas cart and never looked back .

you will hear people complain about the smell of gas. I have never smelled gas fumes in my garage and seldom if ever on the road.

You will hear some posters complain about the smell of gas as they trail behind a gas cart. If you do, then ask these posters
( usually electric cart owners) if they also drive an all electric car or a car powered by gas.

I know many people who would only own an electric cart. They travel where they choose and get long life from their batteries.

Again the defining difference for me was distance anxiety as The Villages expands rapidly and I didn't want to be confined.

Enjoy the comments as it will help you to make the best decision for you

Personal Best Regards:

villagetinker 08-19-2016 04:01 PM

Rubicon,

Excellent synopsis, of several hundred comments. Well done!

redwitch 08-19-2016 04:32 PM

Electric pluses are that it is quiet, does not pollute, does not smell, less annual maintenance.

Electric minuses are, as Rubicon stated, distance anxiety, slight risk of catching fire while charging, constant need to recharge, almost guaranteed to get acid burns in garage, cost of battery replacement.

Gas pluses are 300 miles to a tank of gas, no worry about recharging, clean garage floor.

Gas minuses are it can be smelly if exhaust pipe not properly positioned, extremely noisy when they get old.

JoMar 08-19-2016 05:19 PM

Still don't understand distance anxiety......have had two electrics for two years and have never had a place I couldn't go. We live below 466A and often go to SS for a show at the Sharon, have also played OB on the historic side and came south. As stated, I just don't understand it. Yes, we do charge it every night....it's really not that hard to put a plug in a recepticle. I have an auto fill on both carts and and use it every 3 weeks....that's 5 minutes each time....a lot less then driving to a gas station. As others have said, you can check the threads the battle fields but I also agree that you might want to rent both (for a month or two each) and see which you find environmentally compatible with your lifestyle.

Barefoot 08-19-2016 06:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdodwyer (Post 1274731)
Moving to the Villages, should we go with gas or electric golf cart?

I'm a fan of electric carts. I find gas carts noisy, even the new ones.
Perhaps gas carts aren't smelly from the driver's perspective, but I think they are smelly if you're riding in the back seat.
Or if you're driving behind one. And really smelly in tunnels.
Just one opinion, and you'll get many!

Chi-Town 08-19-2016 06:26 PM

Own a gas and an electric. I prefer the electric.

RickeyD 08-19-2016 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jdodwyer (Post 1274731)
Dear TV Folks,
Moving to the Villages, should we go with gas or electric golf cart?

If you wouldn't consider owning an electric automobile then buy gas. Just my 3 cents...

ColdNoMore 08-19-2016 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barefoot (Post 1274845)
I'm a fan of electric carts. I find gas carts noisy, even the new ones.
Perhaps gas carts aren't smelly from the driver's perspective, but I think they are smelly if you're riding in the back seat.
Or if you're driving behind one. And really smelly in tunnels.
Just one opinion, and you'll get many!

:agree:

I also find having a conversation, without raising your voice, is much easier in an electric cart.

At the same time, I also understand where some might have 'distance anxiety' and prefer to own a gas cart.

Being centrally located near LSL, I have yet to find a corner of TV that I couldn't drive to, play 18 with a passenger and still make it home easily.

But it really is to each their own. :shrug:

RickeyD 08-19-2016 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ColdNoMore (Post 1274856)
:agree:

I also find having a conversation, without raising your voice, is much easier in an electric cart.

At the same time, I also understand where some might have 'distance anxiety' and prefer to own a gas cart.

Being centrally located near LSL, I have yet to find a corner of TV that I couldn't drive to, play 18 with a passenger and still make it home easily.

But it really is to each their own. :shrug:

In our 2015 EFI Yamaha we have no problem having a quiet conversation. Only under hard acceleration is noise present and that lasts for 5 seconds. I happen to enjoy listening to an internal combustion engine, all gear heads do.:gc:

ColdNoMore 08-19-2016 06:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickeyD (Post 1274860)
In our 2015 EFI Yamaha we have no problem having a quiet conversation. Only under hard acceleration is noise present and that lasts for 5 seconds. I happen to enjoy listening to an internal combustion engine, all gear heads do.:gc:

I too am a gear head, but the tiny engines in golf carts don't give me the quite the same feeling as the dirt bikes and snowmachines with expansion chambers...I raced in my younger days.

I've even thought about getting a gas cart just to play around with some mods (especially the clutching) and see what I could do with it, but decided the cost of one of those big tickets for running 35+ mph....probably isn't worth it. :D

As I said...to each their own. :shrug:

HoosierPa 08-19-2016 07:07 PM

I understand the 2017 Yamaha gas carts with new technology is almost as quiet as an electric cart. The Villages Golf Cart stores have a couple you can test drive and order but there are none on the road yet. If true, that would be my vote. There is a thread about them if you want to do a search and read more.

Kahuna32162 08-19-2016 07:55 PM

Lithium ion batteries, 120 mile plus range per charge.

BobandMary 08-19-2016 08:07 PM

Gas. An older electric Par car came with our house. It stalls in the rain. We bought a 2015 Yamaha and love it. We have been here one year and have 5000 miles on it.

Nucky 08-19-2016 08:21 PM

Waiting for our New Gas Yamaha to be delivered. We test drove the 2017 quite gas model and was impressed. When they say quiet it's true. Since my hearing is terrible I bought the 2016 Yamaha with a Carburetor but my vision is fine so I'd rather look at $2000 still in the bank. To answer your question I really don't think either decision is wrong. Good Luck.

kcrazorbackfan 08-19-2016 08:33 PM

2017 Yamaha gas; darn near as quiet as electric; 240+ miles on a tank of gas allows you to drive as long as your rear can stand it and not having to stop to re-charge. Give it a serious look.

Polar Bear 08-19-2016 09:18 PM

Nothing against electric...the quiet is nice. But I fill up my gas cart once every few weeks or so. Nothing else required. That's a no-brainer for me.

rjm1cc 08-19-2016 09:58 PM

electric

rubicon 08-20-2016 05:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HoosierPa (Post 1274864)
I understand the 2017 Yamaha gas carts with new technology is almost as quiet as an electric cart. The Villages Golf Cart stores have a couple you can test drive and order but there are none on the road yet. If true, that would be my vote. There is a thread about them if you want to do a search and read more.

I heard about the new 2017, My cart is just one year old and I have about 1100 miles on it had the oil replaced at 900 miles and told the service guy that he might want to do the annual since he was here. He laughed and said the cart needed service every 4500 miles. so I told him I see him in 3 years. 2017 huh. Hmmmmm

rubicon 08-20-2016 05:52 AM

When I moved here in 2006 electric carts dominated. A guy I played golf with and lived north of 466 was one of the few guys I knew who owned a gas cart. I asked him why he chose a gas cart? he said I made my living working on electric motors enough said..and stopped the conversation. At that time TV didn't much go beyond Mallory

Walkers like gas carts because they can hearing them approaching:D

ColdNoMore 08-20-2016 06:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kahuna32162 (Post 1274879)
Lithium ion batteries, 120 mile plus range per charge.

Very interesting.

Do you have them on your cart, or have you just heard/seen where folks have been converting?

Any info or links on converting over from lead acid batteries?

Thanx! :thumbup:

biker1 08-20-2016 07:15 AM

4500 miles is in excess of what Yamaha recommends for oil changes. The air filter and spark plug can probably go longer.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubicon (Post 1274940)
I heard about the new 2017, My cart is just one year old and I have about 1100 miles on it had the oil replaced at 900 miles and told the service guy that he might want to do the annual since he was here. He laughed and said the cart needed service every 4500 miles. so I told him I see him in 3 years. 2017 huh. Hmmmmm


biker1 08-20-2016 07:28 AM

We test drove the 2017 Yamaha and also thought it was very quiet. They also changed the rear suspension to be independent; my wife thought it rode better than our 2014 Yamaha. Anyone interested in buying a new cart may want to take it for a spin.


Quote:

Originally Posted by kcrazorbackfan (Post 1274888)
2017 Yamaha gas; darn near as quiet as electric; 240+ miles on a tank of gas allows you to drive as long as your rear can stand it and not having to stop to re-charge. Give it a serious look.


rubicon 08-20-2016 02:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by biker1 (Post 1274979)
4500 miles is in excess of what Yamaha recommends for oil changes. The air filter and spark plug can probably go longer.

biker perhaps my comments confusing I'm not the best wordsmith. I did have the oil changed at 900 miles and at that time asked for the annual maintenance wherein the mechanic told me its every 4500 miles.

Personal Best Regards:

biker1 08-20-2016 03:22 PM

I follow you. I would suggest that oil changes follow the Yamaha recommendation of 1250 miles going forward after your first change at 900 miles. I would not wait until 4500 miles for the next oil change. I do my own work so I tend to error on the conservative side. The good news is the Yamaha engines appear to be bullet proof.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rubicon (Post 1275305)
biker perhaps my comments confusing I'm not the best wordsmith. I did have the oil changed at 900 miles and at that time asked for the annual maintenance wherein the mechanic told me its every 4500 miles.

Personal Best Regards:


Carl in Tampa 08-20-2016 05:24 PM

Gas.
 
.
If you buy an electric cart, be sure to always carry the phone number of a cart recovery and towing company in your pocket. You might want to purchase towing insurance.

And start putting away some money now for the cost of replacing all of those batteries. Remember, it is recommended that you replace all of them at the same time.

I've had both, and am now a confirmed gas cart man.

:gc:

Goldwingnut 08-20-2016 07:31 PM

If you forget to change your electric cart or have a very busy day in it, remember, it's very difficult for you spouse to bring you a gallon of battery juice when you run out.

ajbrown 08-20-2016 08:21 PM

I certainly have an opinion, but I will not, because I suspect this is a fun TOTV game. It goes like this:
  • Create a new username
  • Bet with friends how many posts I can get from these old folks (I am one BTW)
  • Select a topic that may generate some interesting comments, e.g., battery vs gas, dog poop, crime, bad developer, bad restaurant, etc.
  • Sit back and watch

I could be wrong…

rubicon 08-21-2016 05:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ajbrown (Post 1275474)
I certainly have an opinion, but I will not, because I suspect this is a fun TOTV game. It goes like this:
  • Create a new username
  • Bet with friends how many posts I can get from these old folks (I am one BTW)
  • Select a topic that may generate some interesting comments, e.g., battery vs gas, dog poop, crime, bad developer, bad restaurant, etc.
  • Sit back and watch

I could be wrong…

ajbrown: always logical and fair comments from you. Keep those comments coming

pparks158 08-22-2016 03:13 AM

I have both electric and gas. Go for gas.

sdeikenberry 08-22-2016 04:25 AM

We've had both, and much prefer gas. If you buy a new one, they come w/ good insulation so they are much quieter than the older ones, and the exhaust is directed away so it's not sucked back into the cab. Also get a fuel injected model. They are not smelly plus u never have carb issues. I get over 50 mpg. I can go anywhere and never worry about if I can get back. If u have electric u will have an odd odor in ur garage from the batteries sulfating...a natural process they all go thru. The best vote for gas is go to The Villages Golf Cart Store and ask them which kind they sell the most of. They will tell u it's gas hands down in the last couple years. In the beginning it was battery models, but w/ the growth of TV, gas is the most popular now.

crimeslayer 08-22-2016 05:52 AM

Are gas stations close?
 
Are there a lot of gas stations that are GC accessible?

RickeyD 08-22-2016 05:53 AM

The overwhelming majority of new carts sold are gas, mostly Yamaha, just look around or ask any cart salesman. If you need to sell it, the resale and demand is much higher for Yamaha gas models, especially the 4 seaters.

hillncea 08-22-2016 06:38 AM

I have an electric cart (Atomic) and it runs about 60 miles on a charge with the air conditioning on at full blast, about 100 miles in the spring and fall with the A/C off. I live south of 466A and my wife was in rehab at The Club--about 15 miles, and about the furthest you can travel in The Villages. Never had an issue with the 30-mile round-trip. And the batteries are sealed, so no acid burns on the garage floor. There have been great advances in batteries in the past few years and there will be many more in the upcoming years. This improvement is being driven (no pun intended) by the research necessary to power electric cars. As electric cars get better and more popular, the batteries for golf carts will continue to improve as well.

Challenger 08-22-2016 06:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crimeslayer (Post 1276050)
are there a lot of gas stations that are gc accessible?

yes

bbbbbb 08-22-2016 06:51 AM

Cart
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by jdodwyer (Post 1274731)
Dear TV Folks,
Moving to the Villages, should we go with gas or electric golf cart?

Hi, in response I will tell you this. I am retired, a long time in Engineering, we heard all the hype on carts, especially gas. Why? Because there is a gas pump at the cart store? Well, we bought Electric at AGC carts, they are near Bonefish Grill at that center. We love the electric EZ GO and I am a bit vocal about all the BS how we need gas, that is really BS!!!! About once a week I charge it, we do not play golf, but it takes about 4 hours max for a week, it costs about 15-19 cents an hour to charge, I verified this with SECO electric.
Quiet, clean and a real dream, the service is great, for the first year, they come to your house for service, no charge. bbbbbb
:clap2:

merrymini 08-22-2016 07:09 AM

Gas v electric cart
 
We decided on electric and have never looked back...we got suped up batteries and I do not have a problem plugging in the cart to charge, I plug in dozens of things each day...gas carts are very polluting, much more so than cars, which have pollution controls on them...boils down to personal choice...experience both before you buy, We did and it helped us make the choice that was right for us...

Bay Kid 08-22-2016 07:29 AM

I have 2 gas carts and a 3 year old EZGO. I will sell the EZGO. Does that say it all?


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