looking for golf cart advice
 

New to TV -- coming down in January. In need of a golf cart. Interested in electric -- gas is too noisy and smelly for me and my bride. 2 options on electric - Lithium and lead-based. Lithium is preferred. Which makes/models are good? Initially interested in Evolution, but I realize that others like Club Car and EZ-GO exist. Can others share the good/bad/ugly of their experiences? TIA. And if you have/know of one for sale, drop me a PM, thanks.

Have you driven the new Yamaha's?? Don't smell & very quite. Jus say'n.

:popcorn:

May want to check with your tax advisor....I've read some banter about electric carts being eligible for significant tax rebates. They may have to have options such as seatbelts, to qualify.

We looked at Evolution carts before purchasing our Yamaha Gas cart. The Evolution was nice enough although there aren't nearly as many options / upgrades available for it as there are the other brands like EZ-GO, Club Car and Yamaha. Our QuietTech gas is fairly quiet and I actually find the whine of some electric carts to be more bothersome than the low volume of my Yamaha. We will eventually get a second cart and my wife will want an electric so we'll see what's available then. One last thing, I always try to buy American or as much content as possible from the U.S. in my purchases and the components for the Evolution are all from China which as a source country is my #1 least favorite. That probably more than anything else kept me from wanting the Evolution. If you don't feel the same, it could be the cart for you as those that have them seem pretty happy with them at least so far. Welcome to the villages by the way!

Depends upon where you live. If you live north of 44, electric will work. Our lead acid electric cart will get about 40 miles before the towing service needs calling. Gas has a much, much farther range. If you live south of 44, the golf courses are so far away, that gas is your only real option for going to LSL and getting back.

sorry to be the bearer of bad news if you live in Southern Oaks.

the Evolution cart looks nice and has lots of frills but make sure you test drive it.. I took 2 different carts out and hated the ride every bump was bone jarring and 10 times worse than a Yamaha .. I am a high mileage golf cart user... I ended up buying a new Yamaha and love it

If price is no concern, I'd get a Yamaha or Club Car Lithium-Ion, brand new. However, my understanding is that between the high demand, and the supply chain issues, getting anything by January may be a pipe dream.
Let us know how you make out.

I am 6ft 3 inches tall and checked out the Evolution. Accelerator was not in a comfortable position(too close to me).

EZ Go has the longest range. Check to see how far you intend to drive cart in a day. If you are centrally located, might not need a 50-60 range cart.

Quietech is good gas cart. Has more tire noise than engine noise. Still smelly but not as bad as older golf carts.

Good luck and keep eyes open. There is a lot less availability now than 1 year agol

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Where in the OP's post did you get the impression his decision was based upon a desire to "save the planet"? He states very clearly that he finds gas too noisy and smelly. How did you jump to the conclusion that it was about "saving the planet"?

Agree, there are many very good reasons why Yamaha gas carts are by far (it’s not even close) the most popular carts in the Villages.

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Have gas Yamaha quiet tech, can’t smell it at all. Where does this smell supposed to come from?

I have one also, and when I back into the garage, I definitely get a little exhaust smell. Doesn't really faze me, but I can't deny its existence.

I have an electric Club Car and I can attest to the gas powered being smelly and loud. I don't think you smell or hear it as well if you are driving them. The other issues is almost everyone of the gas powered seem to be set to run 23 mph my electric runs 19 mph so you have to let the speedsters by a lot. One other thing is the pollution and the gas powered may eventually not be allowed:

A gas-powered golf cart with a 10.5 horsepower engine that operates for 2.5 hours each week emits 1474.2 pounds of CO2 each year, according to a study by Princeton University.

Now do the lithium battery….

‘Lithium-ion technology has downsides — for people and the planet. Extracting the raw materials, mainly lithium and cobalt, requires large quantities of energy and water. Moreover, the work takes place in mines where workers — including children as young as seven — often face unsafe conditions.‘

Battery-grade lithium can also be produced by exposing the material to very high temperatures — a process used in China and Australia — which consumes large quantities of energy.

Cobalt is an important part of a battery’s electrode, but around 70% of this element is found in just one country: the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Around 90% of the DRC’s cobalt comes from its industrial mines (90,000 tonnes annually). But in a country where people earn, on average, less than $1,200 annually, the world’s demand for cobalt has attracted thousands of individuals and small businesses, called artisanal miners — and child labour and unsafe working practices are rife.

We have two electric carts, one Par Car (2015) and a Sirius (2020). Range on the Par Car is around 40 miles, range on Sirius about 55. We replace batteries every 3 - 4 years so until the cost of Lithium comes down significantly or we run out of range we have no need. We live in Hillsborough so are about in the middle so Fenny or SS is well within the range needed. (yes, I have done Lopez and Orange Blossom without issue), Average trip is about 25 miles golf included. I have done 50 in the Sirius and, even with the best seats available, your butt will let you know :). It's also nice to not have to make stops at gas stations and deal with lifting seats, opening tank and make sure you don't overflow. Pull in your garage, plug it in and you're done.

I have been here since August. They told me a new golf cart will take 6 months to build. I have heard this month that it is down to 4 and a half months

Glad we didn’t wast money sending our kid to Princeton. Driving a gas cart 2.5 hours per week for 52 weeks would burn about 75 gallons of gas. Since gas weighs 6.1 pounds per gallon, that would be roughly 458 pounds of gas. How in the world could 1,474.2 pounds of CO2 be emitted by burning 458 pounds of gas?

The inconvenient truth.

Mine has lead acid batteries. AFAIK there are no catalytic converters on a golf cart. Didn't mean to start an argument.......forgot this was the Villages.

They are taking into account the carbon coming from the gasoline will combine with 2 molecules of oxygen in the air to produce CO2. Given the molecular weight of the Carbon + Oxygen + Oxygen they get the value that CO2 will be 3.7 times greater than the initial starting weight of Carbon in the gasoline.

https://climatekids.nasa.gov/review/.../gasoline.html

I am very happy with my Tomberlin electric cart. I can go 40 miles on a full charge using lead acid batteries. Mine is a 2019 model. Looks like a little jeep.

buy used first. then decide before you have a great outlay of cash and are unhappy. Lots of carts listed in classified..... Talk of the Villages, Villages News, Nextdoor, Villages buy/sell, Lady Lake Virtual Yard Sale

When lithium's go dead they go dead no warning just done. Golf cart towing insurance places wont even insure them they are always having to tow them. Having invested $6k in lithium batteries for our carts, I wish i didn't, tech is just not there yet, AS far as cart's stick with Yamaha or Club car. We have 5 carts because of rentals and love our electrics, we have one 2016 Yamaha gas, range is great but would rather drive electric any day of the week, that is unless I had to drive to Fenny.

Wehave a 2015 Fuel injected Yamaha, there is noise, but nothing like the former models, no fumes from exhaust or gas like many of the firm models. The latest models are almost as quiet as the electric, no fumes, no gas odor. Electric milage varies from battery type to how much stuff you have running on thr battery, in addition to the terrain traveling over. While we in our rental phase of living in the villages we had gas,and electric carts based on our our landlords ownership. We bought a house eand we bought a gas cart, We travel all over the place, easy to fill up gas tank in multiple locations in a few minutes, try that with an electric cart when you find out low on power. Gas much further round trip and play 18 holes of golf then an electric cart. The new gas golf carts are the bes is gone. Right now a gas Yamaha would take at least 3-4 months to get. We plan on getting one after the current backup in availability. Big backlog right now.

If you buy evolution, stay AWAY from village discount. They put in speed governors. 20 MPH does not sound bad until you realize that everybody else is traveling at a higher speed. If you would like to drive a 20 MPH you are welcome to try mine.

Try and test drive one, and not just around the block. See if you can get an electric cart for a half day and drive it around.

Test drive both an electric and gas cart. See for yourself. It will be eye opening.

Just bought 2022 new STAR lithium powered cart. Beautiful and loads of neat features
 

80 miles on charge. Easy to maintain. Great warranty. They have them at Villages Golf Carts. Talk to Don at Spanish Springs.

Golf carts that exceed 20 mph have to be made street legal.....Tags, insurance, brakes, etc. I suspect some of the cart companies don't want the liability of setting the governors to a higher speed.

Have had lead-acid golf carts in the past and will no longer get 1 of those. $1000 every 4-5 years to replace the batteries. Also, you need to check the water level in the batteries every quarter and these batteries start losing their range of charge as time passes.
If you want electric, lithium is the best choice for both maintenance and length of service and range. The big downside is paying $3000-$4,000 for a new set of lithium batteries every 7 years. If you are environment conscience, batteries of any kind are a major waste issue.
We just bought a new Yamaha drive2 gas cart and love it, quiet, no smell, 300+ mile range. The main maintenance you need to do is change the oil once a year and maybe adjust the valves. Down the road many many years from now, you will need an engine rebuild which is fairly cheap compared to replacing batteries

This is off topic, but while not new to ToTV, I'm confused by posters simply typing "///" as a response. What does "///" mean?

We LOVE our EZGo lithium. We live South of 44 and go up to Lake Sumter , play golf etc and return with half a charge still left. It charges quickly with just a regular plug in the garage. We first bought a Club Car and returned it ( luckily we could). It did not have the distance. Quiet, easy, no maintenance!

Check atomic golf carts, electric
Air conditioned
Power windows
Windshield wipers
Long range driving
Fast
Street ready

Not true. We live South of the turnpike and go up to play golf and up to the Squares and return home with half a charge still left. No issues whatsoever!

Atomic carts get 60 miles
With lithium batteries almost 100
If you use the air conditioning it’s less range

lol

We bought Evolution. Love it. No regrets. We are able to ride with all 4 seats filled from Citrus Grove to Sumpter Landing and back on 40% battery use. We only charge this battery when it’s between 10-15% per manufacturer recommendation.

Electric Golf Cart
 

I purchased a Crown golf cart from Crown carts. They are located behind Russell Stover candy, Wildwood, FL. We have had it for 2 years and love it. It has air, heat, AM/FM stereo, Toyota suspension and discuss brakes. I have attached a photo. We paid $14k new. Check it out.