Just for the hell of it
 

Longest one way golf cart trip currently is from the Village of Dabney at the intersection of Chandler Drive and CR-470 to the Mulberry Recreation Center at CR-42 - - - 27.1 Miles, 1 Hour and 38 Minutes! Just For THe Hell Of It!

The round trip is still theoretically within the range of my electric cart but I doubt I would ever press my luck trying it!

I think I just saw a cart (I clocked at 30 mph) that could make the trip in 1 hour.....

Could easily be done 5 times in a quiet tech, a sixth trip might be pressing it but is probably doable.

Nothing like taking a road trip!

I doubt it. I would say four trips.

The Quiet Tech comes with a 5.2gal tank though it's unlikely it would ever be filled to the top. But let's say it is.

My Quiet Tech gets very close to 50mpg. Yamaha says 45mpg. Let's split the difference and say 48mpg.

5.2gals at 48mpg gives a 249.6mi range. Just for fun, let's call it 250mi.

27.1mi one way is 54.2mi round trip. 250mi of range would give four full trips. Since your fuel would run out about five miles into the return trip on the fifth attempt, it is more likely you would head to the gas station rather than even trying that trip.

Now with my gas cart, assuming it will actually make a round trip (it should), I could keep going as long as I want. My average speed given all the stopping on the MMPs is 15mph. A 54.2mi trip would take nearly four hours which is as long as I would want to sit on the cart in one day anyway. I would get home, plug it in, make a margarita, and read the forums. Then tomorrow I would do the same thing (and the next day and the next and....). No trips to the gas station required.

So, you don’t pay electric bill either? Now when your batteries are gone the gas cart catches up. ( gone meaning dead).

Unless there are charging stations around the villages, EV anything is out, other words, never buying an EV cart or car. Everybody with an EV anything always has their eye on the gauge to make sure they can make it to the next charger with a few miles to spare.

I agree. Until the charging infrastructure catches up and the battery technology improves I'll hold onto my 145K mile gas vehicle.

You missed the Enclaves in Dabney - another 8 minutes and worth it!

Of course when the gas cart runs out all it takes is a quick call to a buddy or the spouse to bring a gallon of gas and it's back on the road again and a quick 5 minute stop at the gas station and ready to go for another 250 (or whatever the range may be) miles. Or perhaps a Good Samaritan will drive by and have a jerry jug in their car or cart and give you a little fuel to get you to the gas station.

Now the electric cart when it runs out of juice, what will you do... call for a tow and when they finally get it home plug it back into the charger for a few hours. Few Good Samaritans drive around with a jug of battery juice to give you a quick boost. Maybe someone will stop buy in an EV or with a generator in their car and sit with you for an hour as they charge the cart, right.....

Yes the electric carts are nice on the golf course and they don't put out CO2 at the tail pipe (they produce a bigger carbon footprint at the power plant due to the multiple inefficient energy conversions it must undergo to charge the battery) but until they can match the range and quick refueling time of the ICE (carts or cars), they will be little more than roadkill on the side of the road.

The posted comment was about the longest one way trip in TV. I thought this was an interesting tidbit of info that got me thinking of trying some long trips in future.
It devolved into a “conversation”about electric vs gas carts. :0
What ever you have or use to make these enjoyable trips….just enjoy!
We are so fortunate to live in such a lovely place after all. :)

I do pay an electric bill, I just don't notice the tiny increase due to charging the cart.

To refill the quiet tech for those 4 1/2 trips cost something like $18 (unless you use unleaded which would cost more). To refill the electric cost about $0.55 each night or about $2.50 for the same 4 1/2 trips. So if I made those trips every week for a month I would add $10 to my electric bill which is an amount I would not even notice.

And of course, the electric does not require a special trip to the electric station to refill, I just plug in the charger before walking into the house.

Great point! Just enjoy the ride, we are all very fortunate to be here.

You don’t know that. Batteries don’t last maybe 5 to 8 years. You have to add that cost to equation not just charging batteries.

Stop injecting facts into the green equation, it stops you from getting the answers they want.

Very simple solution - plug the cart in every night. Four hours in a cart is enough for one day (at least for me) so I don't ever expect to find myself as roadkill on the side of the road.

I question the carbon footprint comment too. I suspect there is a great *improvement* in efficiency in mass-generation of electric power compared to individual ICE engines. Otherwise, the electric cost per mile would be much closer to the gas cost per mile.

Drive what you like. Scoff at all the electric carts and cars you see around you. Keep watching for me to be stranded with my electric cart. Fortunately for me, my reality is not affected by the opinions of others.

I have a gas 2019 Yamaha and always get 47 mpg no matter how I drive it. I have it set for a max of 23 mph but generally observe 21 mph. I drive it everywhere in TV preferring it over an auto. I can get from Spanish Springs to Southern Oaks golf course in 45 mins without traffic, and 50-55 mis with traffic...depends the time of day. I won't hesitate to travel to Eastport in my cart once it's possible and play golf there also...what' the rush...I'm retired and I enjoy the ride. Comparing it to an elec cart and not wishing to start a debate, gas carts seem more sustainable for long trips. Sidebar, we also own an EV auto and love it for what it is...costs me about $11/month to level 2 charge at home. ..much cheaper than buying gasoline...and it's range is fine for what we use it for. We do not take long auto trips anymore.

A big "maybe" there. Maybe they will last for 12 years. My warranty is for eight years so the batteries will last at least that long. I replaced my car at seven years so an eight year warranty would have outlasted the vehicle.

I don't know what will happen with my electric cart. Perhaps by 2030 I will be ready for a new one. Perhaps there will be a drop-in replacement that will triple the range. But I do know in those eight year I will enjoy not having to run to the gas station and paying six or seven times the fuel cost.

So you "plug" your gas cart in every night?

By comparison, Manhattan Island is shaped a lot like The Villages but is 13.4 miles long and 2.3 miles wide at its widest. I know people who would rather be there, but I’d rather be here. Except that I wish we had a few really good delis and a few other restaurants. When people here complain about traffic during snowbird season, I just shake my head and assume they have never driven in Manhattan.

That is what I wrote in the third from the last sentence.

you must have been really board that day.


:a040::bigbow:

I respectfully disagree and I think you're doing everyone a disservice by making that comment when you have no experience with electric vehicles.

The discussion about how many times someone could make a 27 mile trip in a golf cart is silly. No sane person would waste that much time to prove a point so the entire conversation is a fun theoretical exercise only.

Electric golf carts (and cars) are an excellent option for most Villagers. It's cheap, quiet, fast and fume-less travel. The range of electric vehicles is far more than anyone would typically travel in one shot and way more comfortable.

Conversations about EVs should be between people that own EVs and people that have questions about EVs. When you add in people that think they know EVs (but really hate change) it makes the conversation more about false statements.

I did it in 1 hour even. I am waiting for The Villages to open up the golf cart lanes on the Southern Oaks bridge. Eventually it will be 50 miles one way.

Agree, except IMO the masses can’t afford electric vehicle to just drive locally. Until price comes down and trip milage goes only the well off can afford to vehicle to putt around in.

Home is at Linden, GPS states 1 /1/2 hour to Nancy Lopez. Have an Ezgo Lithium and it takes me about an hour. Plenty of miles to spare. Tunnels get stranger as I travel north. Especially the one way in the dark. Would make a great Halloween haunted tunnel.

Very happy with my EZGO electric. Hasn’t stopped me from going where I need to go. When the new courses are built south of our home we will be close to 3 more championship courses. Had no idea when we purchased our lot and it worked out perfectly. Enjoy your Utube videos Don. Anytime you’re in the area stop by and I will give you a ride. My wife picked the colours so it is nice and coordinated. Cheers, steve

I plug mine in whenever I get back from somewhere. Doesn’t matter what time of day. Shuts off when charged and ready for another trip. We travel to Maryland frequently and we’re gone for six months and the level was 97 percent. Have traveled 60 miles and still had some miles left.

I have had an EV (used Jaguar I-Pace) for three years - bought it used with 6,000 miles for 70% of original sticker. I have a level 2 charger in my garage, and we use my wife's gas car for trips over 200 miles. I charge my car overnight about once every 10 days at home. I need no gas, oil, maintenance, expensive interval services, and require NO radiator, transmission, catalytic converter, smelly exhaust, etc. Since I just drive it locally, I have zero range anxiety.

So why do you say never buy an EV? Just drive one and educate yourself . . .

How many of drive your gas cart in excess of 50 miles in 1 day? How many have done 50 miles in 1 day even occasionally?

True that the Gas cart will be able to out distance the electric and recover and refuel much quicker, but I would venture that few, if any, ever use a golf cart to that extreme. Even now that the Villages has grown and expanded the distance I don't see many people driving golf carts those extreme distances. I think most people in the Villages tend to stay within the area where they live and I'd be surprised if many clock even 30 miles in a day.

Time is also a factor. Even in retirement most of us still have schedules and many things we want to do in any given day. Do you really want to add an hour to a trip at the far end of the Villages just to take a golf cart instead of getting there by car?

I think the argument of Gas vs. Electric has no practical merit even here in the Villages. The argument is about circumstance that is never an issue for most people. I'm not an advocate of either one and I have both a gas and an Electric. I clock more miles on the Electric than the gas.

Are you in Linden South? There is a home with an ezgo lithium down the street. As it silently glides by I've gotta admit, it looks like the way to go. Wife won't let me sell the gas cart because we might drive more than 60 miles someday. Haven't in 4 years...but it could happen LOL.

Joe

Thank you for doing this and posting! I've thought of it myself but never quite "found the time". I love crazy things "just for the hell of it", this is awesome!

Are you planning on going from Middleton all the way up when the multimodal trails open? That would be an even bigger adventure :)

Joe

A bit longer than a marathon. You just have to run along the cart paths. (And have someone pick you up at the end). :icon_wink:

Finally, common sense. I tell people I'm not at death's door, but I sure as heck can see the cemetery from here! Why would I waste so much of my remaining time running end-to-end or even a long way (>30 mins) in a golf cart of any description when I could cover that distance in a car in minutes? How many people are trying to find slower ways to get to work or shopping??? The clock is ticking....

Now that's a hell of an idea.....The Villages Marathon Challenge...can you go the distance? Classes include running, walking, e biking, analog biking, golf cart...what else am I missing? Themed aid stations along the way and music, food, and refreshments at the finish.

Joe

Try going all the way to Orange Blossom. Pack a lunch.

Joe, my Brother lives at Linden South. We are in between there and Monarch Grove. 99 homes. ������

Yes, the ride is nice and the landscape is easier to see than by car. Took 3 years to decide on the cart. Drive gas in Maryland. Can’t wait for the cart paths to Eastport and Middleton. We all live in Paradise. Can’t believe all of the things to do. Golf early, mid day or late.

Sad that nobody is talking about where all these battery's are going once they are no longer useful, or what all these battery's are doing to the environment. They sound great, until you look at the reality( and also cost to replace every 2-3 yrs)