What type or electric cart should I consider?
 

We are relatively new Villagers and have a great Yamaha quiet-tech. Plan to get a second cart and want an electric one. Am not as familiar with brands and options as we were when we looked for the Yamaha gas cart. Would appreciate suggestions from your experiences. Thanks.

IMO you’re just going have to go look and compare options. I would especially compare batteries types and range and seat comfort.

Some of antique shops may still have some gas carts around. There are still some legacy units around, but dying out quickly.

Star and Evolution seem to be the Lithium of chose these days. Club Car may also have a Lithium powered cart by now, that can give you a reasonable range.

Expect to save about 20%-25% if you buy off campus. Sunshine Carts of Ocala would be a good starting point.

EZ Go, Evolution, or Star.

I like my 2022 EZ Go. It has the "standard," shorter height and is pretty basic but has been very reliable. With the 160Ah batter (I believe) I have been able to go anywhere I want. I have traveled 45 miles with charge to spare but that was in the summer and cold weather definitely reduces range.

Others have had very good luck with Evolution and it has more bells and whistles and a larger battery than mine.

My one concern was height. I go through one of the low tunnels and have seen a taller cart stuck in there once. It may be possible to lower the tall carts, riding down the center of the tunnel should work, and it's possible to avoid this tunnel but for me, the shorter cart was preferable. However, if that is going to be a deciding factor, make sure the EZ Go is still on the short side - I heard that more recent models might be taller.

Thanks all for the feedback.

I bought a new 2016 Star Car with Trojan batteries, and never have I had an issue with distance for the day. I finally purchased a new set of Trojans this year, so 9 years of traveling here in the villages. No other issues with the Star Car during this time. When I am looking to buy a new cart, I will buy one with a lithium battery so I don't have to keep checking on the water levels.

i love my ezgo cart, no noise, very quiet. i do have the lead batterys and can get 30 miles.

Our friends recently bought a 2024 Star Sirius. They love it and get over 70 miles range and have never had any range issues. I know the gas vs lithium seems to draw some very strong emotions, but they love theirs.

OP, talk to some actual owners, in person. Don’t waste your time here. All you will get is bunch of BS.

I have a Club cart that is electric. It came with an eight year warranty and it goes for sixty miles. We paid for upgraded seats, have locking glove compartments, grocery bag, and seat belts. I don’t know what we could have gotten more that would’ve upped the comfort level. I LOVE going for a drive/ride in it!

Probably more like 50 miles which would be consistent with 38 miles round trip from Laurel Manor plus some side trips and consistent with using less than 1.5 gals of gas. Still a respectable drive.

Not sure I would commit to a traveling 19 miles one way, 12 miles is far enough for me. Seems like an electric cart may not be the right choice for you but I wonder how many others make a habit of traveling anything near that far.

I went with an EZGO primarily because of the Samsung LiFePO4 battery. Battery has an 8 year warranty, 50+ mile range.
Evolution is made in China.

Yes, you can still purchase a gas cart at The Villages Golf Car Museum.

EZGO 2.2 = 60ah = 30 miles.
EZGO 4.2 = 120ah = 60 miles.
EZGO 6.2 = 180ah = 90 miles.

Take a look at Atlas (210ah) carts. Made in USA by former EZGO execs and 90 miles of range. $13K when on sale.

OP is looking for advice on electric cart, to purchase. Please stay on topic, off topic will be deleted

If you like the Yamaha Quiet Tech golf cart, and want an electric cart, then why not buy a Yamaha Lithium Golf Cart? Yes, Yamaha does make them and has been making them since 2022. They also make "regular" lead-acid battery golf carts. Yamaha electric carts have independent rear suspension and are essentially the same golf cart as the new, gas-powered Yamaha carts you see everywhere. Primary difference is that it has a factory-installed lithium battery. I got mine at County Village Power Equipment in Webster, FL (Rt. 471 near the fair grounds and Webster Flea Market) and I am extremely happy with this purchase. To my knowledge The Villages golf cart stores don't sell them - don't know why not. But by going to County Village Power Equip., you will not only save money, but also get home service AND you can have all the benefits of the Yamaha build quality, smooth ride AND you can get the electric cart you are looking for. Check them out!

The EZGO and Club Cars are manufactured in the US they're reliable and have been around forever. The lithium battery will allow for several rounds on a golf course before the battery needs recharging, and I'm talking about an 18 hole golf course not an executive. If you purchase a relatively new
EZGO from the dealer, it comes with an extended warranty.
I believe the Star is manufactured in China. It's popular because it's relatively inexpensive compared to the Club or EZGO.

We are going to do the same thing, have a Yamaha Quiet Tech two-seater for golf and looking at the Evolution D5 Ranger 4, four-seater facing forward for when we get company, They run just under 10K.

We bought a used 2017 atomic carts 3 years ago. Love it! Love the doors ( no problem with playing golf) love the Window wipers, heat and ac. Had to get an upgraded battery, but love the cart ! You can go for a test drive at atomic cool carts (next to Sparr) on 44. We got a great price too.

If you are looking for a lower cost alternative, I purchased a great used electric Star cart and swapped in Lithium batteries myself. Almost 5 years now and still running great.

You should check out the Custom Drive cart. It is manufactured in Texas. Very comfortable seats and 210ah lithium battery. Cart comes with lots of bells and whistles plus a low price.

We have an evolution. Love it.

Thank You Sir

EZ-GO Elite owner here
USA company excellent cart

Don't buy any cart expecting these ranges.

60ah has a range of less than 20 miles, regardless of the brand.
120ah will get you into the low 40's
180ah will get you into the low 60's
205ah will get you into the low 70's

These numbers are real world numbers, not the numbers in the brochure or provided by the salesman.

Just like EZ-GO (and Evolution), Atlas carts are built and assembled at a US facility, but the majority of the components are from overseas.

ALL lithium golf cart batteries are now LifeP04 (much safer), and ALL come from overseas (China, Korea, etc).

may want to consider Evolution
 

We compared gas and electric carts before buying a new Evolution from Botero Carts. If you are big on customer service and it being close, I would suggest The Villages carts. They have customer service down to a science, but you pay a lot more. Botero sales folks are not as helpful, so know what questions to ask before you go. They were very busy when we were there and talked really fast. Research online and decide what your personal needs and wants are before going.

The Villages carts offered a brand new 2024 cart for 16K. This was a 2-seater Yamaha that did not have a lot of power. They said it could be programmed for more power once we agreed to purchase (not knowing how much power turned us off). It also included upgraded seats and the color paint we wanted along with the rain enclosure. Even though it was a quiet tech it was loud and smelly.

Botero offered a brand new 2025 cart for 14K. This is an Evolution 4 forward seat cart with lots of power. We had the seats changed and the height of the cart lowered. It has a many more features including a tablet touch screen for the driver with car play and speakers. The battery was updated to 205ah lithium as well. We do have to add an extra $1500 for the rain enclosure. The down sides for us are the height is still high, and the seats are nice but, not as nice as our 2019 EZ GO. The golf bag holder is designed to cause the clubs to tilt out away from the cart, which my husband does not care for.

Just like choosing a house it is all about personal preference and what is important to you. No cart will be perfect, but with research and comparison you will be thrilled!

EZGO RXV Elite has amazing efficiency...About 90W per mile.

What type of rain enclosure????

Just be sure to get the standard height if you want to go through all the tunnels. Some of the higher carts are so high that they cannot use all the tunnels.

We have an ezgo elite 4 seater only about 10 inches longer than our Yamaha gas cart. Can be parked in the same area as the Yamaha. Only problem is the roof is to tall for the Saddlebrook tunnel. I lowered the roof and showed it to the Spanish Springs Villages golf store. Don't know if they have remedied the fix with the manufacturer. we can park the carts one behind the other in the garage.

How is that?

Initial price is similar. Yearly oil changes aren't needed for electric. Belt changes aren't needed for electric. Air filter changes aren't needed for electric. Brake work is needed much less frequently or not at all for electric. Fuel costs are about 1/6 for electric. Starter battery replacements aren't needed for electric. So where is the extra cost in the long run?

And to the common argument about replacing lithium batteries..... No one knows when a lithium battery might need to be replaced, at least no one has reported replacing theirs. The cost of lithium batteries is coming down, while their range is going up, so the replacement price, if EVER needed, might be similar to the replacement price of a gasoline engine. So where is the extra cost in the long run?

Thank You
My 19 EZ-GO doesn't even have brakes
I had to replace a solenoid ($35) and that's it
20K miles and I swear, there's no range degradation that I can tell

Was not aware Yamaha made them. Will look at those as well as the other suggestions.

Check out Hidden Creek Golf Carts. They sell both Evolution and Club Car. While I have Par Cars (no longer in business), my neighbor bought an Evolution cart from Hidden Creek and is very happy with it. Good luck and have fun with the new cart.

canvas for top and roll up plastic for sides

Star is Based in GA. Although not sure how many parts are Chinese they are a Part of JH Global. Seems to be built with High Quality but do command a price.

Star
 

I have a star and it’s amazing! Drove from St. Catherine to Orange Blossom and back and still had 1/4 charge left!

Lithium ion carts
 

I'll assume you'll get a lithium ion cart. It's really a no-brainer. What you like about it is just charge it and go no belts, no nothing. just charge from electrical outlet in your garage . The cart I like is made in Charleston South Carolina . It's a Bintelli. You can go online and see what they have, but I bought mine from the factory. A 4 seater. I talked and visited sunshine up in Ocala, but they were useless. They wanted to sell me a different cart, but after investigating what's available I wanted a Bintelli. You should go online and see what's available and talk to them . There are many upgrades that they will give you a package deal on . I had my curtains made here in a company off of 411/27. It was more than I thought it should have been but it's a beautiful color setup, and rain proof, even for rear passengers. Also it's got style, and large pad type info center. I believe it's Second To None here in The Villages, or any place.
Good luck
=GreggC69;2423334]We are relatively new Villagers and have a great Yamaha quiet-tech. Plan to get a second cart and want an electric one. Am not as familiar with brands and options as we were when we looked for the Yamaha gas cart. Would appreciate suggestions from your experiences. Thanks.[/QUOTE]

I was down at One Stop Golf Cart today for their grand opening. They had an electric cart there called a Conquest. Very very nice electric cart. They said it had three different lithium battery options and three different types of power module options. They looked really sharp. You may want to drop in and take a look atcit.

Thank you

We went with the EZ Go liberty, forward facing 4 passenger. What sold me was the length. Parked next to the traditional 4 passenger (2 facing to the rear) it was actually shorter when the rear foot plate is down on the traditional cart. Range with 2 of us is at least 45 miles. We live south of 44 (Linden Isle) and with a fully charged cart went up to Spanish Springs over the bridge to the historical section and returned and still had a 30% charge remaining. What sold the wife was it is made in the USA, and today the thought of maybe trying to get a part of something from overseas may be an issue. Quiet and not a bit of hesitation going up an incline like coming out of tunnel. If it has a downside for me it is the suspension, seems to be rough riding, thus we upgraded to a better seat. Pull into the garage and plug it right into the wall. I think the sales person said the batteries were guaranteed 10 years, but cant recall for sure on that.

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