Golf Cart Charging Stations in TV
 

I've often wondered why TV's doesn't have charging stations placed around TV's for people who own electric golf carts especially since adding Brownwood. Even in the Town Squares it would be night just to recharge for half an hour or so.

And who would pay for this ?

A charging station would be a good idea as would my suggestion of a monorail system. The charging station wouldn't cost that much but the monorail system would cost millions, but it would put The Villages on a plateau that no other retirement community would ever reach.

That's why they make gas golf carts. If it was free people would use it just because it's free, I could see someone plugging in and going to the show or dinner just so they don't have to do it at home, and not everyone has an onboard charger so that's something else to carry with you or get stolen from your cart. I have an electric for short runs the square, doctors, market etc., but if we're roaming we use the gas.

And you don't think running power to charging stations would cost at least hundreds of thousands?

Witout a doubt.

I just wonder if Jimbo2012 has any ideas that may help :jester:

Free use of the sun?

There would be a meter and your credit card info to charge your cart or car

Golf cart charging stations
 

Outback has couple behind the resturant that is provided by them for custmers to use.

He has a big hole in his yard for the pool...so it may take him a minute to weigh in on this

Funny thing happened to me a short time ago. Mrs. Buggy had forgotten to recharge the golf cart one night after a full day of driving all around The Villages. She then took the cart from Glenbrook to Seabreeze the next day and on the way home, ran out of power just at our mail depot. She called me to bring the charger so it could be charged a bit for the short drive home. I did and plugged it in.

I had several people come by at the mail depot and ask if I was having problems. I replied to a few of them that I do this every day as it is cheaper than recharging at home. You know that some actually believed me. One lady got upset at me doing that - and then laughed when I told her I was joking.

We get around 60 miles or so on a "full tank of protons". I like the electric cart so much better than the gas powered ones - and it is a personal choice.

That is very funny. I am surprised that story did not show up on here.

Thread: You will not believe what I saw at the mail station, another entitled villager :D

Two main problems with charging stations:

1. It is not recommended that you plug your cart in to charge without the time to allow full charge.

2. You would see folks using these charging stations as their primary source of electricity.

NOW: if you do it like the air at a gas station and charge 25 cents for every 15 minutes charge, then it would certainly help those that may otherwise be stranded. If you offered it for free, it would be severely abused. You would see extension cords coming from every kind of vehicle.

I know, I am childish on this issue, but since I never try to GET OVER on the norm, I find it displeasing when someone else does.

the way folks save seats at the squares...can you imagine them trying to save a charging station for use upon their arrival!!!!! oy!

Actually they do???
 

One morning, a cart that we owned eooooons ago was in need of a boost...noticed that the bar in both squares has an outside outlet and I had the extension cord, so had a bite to eat at Panera while charging and then headed home....I'm sure I would have had my knickers ripped if caught but it
was an "Emergency", Right?????:shrug::shrug:

:what: "Emergency" ....... No bad planning! :cus:

J1772 compliant charging stations only run $1k. And they can easily be set up for RFID credit cards. It does not cost very much to run a 220v line from a nearby building and TV could actually make $$$ on it. You would have to have an onboard charger and the J1772 plug however.

Blink

Sweetie ran out of charge at the corner of Morse and 466 at Holy Redeemer Lutheran Church. He hesitated for a moment but then plugged himself in at the outside outlet.

The pastor came by and Sweetie thanked him, and Sweetie told him that he appreciated it very much and that he was Catholic. The pastor laughed and said that it was o.k. that he was sure that St.Timothy's would extend the same kindness to his parishioners.

I thought they could just be set up like parking meters, maybe in Brownwood made to look like hitching posts.

I would pay to use them.

Tesla Motors, the successful electric car company, showed just that system awhile back on FBN. Plug in, swipe a credit card or use an app on SmartPhone to turn on and charge to you.
It would run until car was unplugged or fully charged. Turning off when unplugged would prevent someone from cheating.
I think their charging systems worked fast.

There are companies that install charging stations that have a credit card payment system installed. There are a good number of them installed in Honolulu for electric vehicles. The company owns the charging stations.

And what business owner would allow a public charging station to be fed from his electric service ??

Us too and I agree 100%

Are they actual chargers or just an outlet and you have to have your charger with you?

The heck with all of that I want golf cart manufacturers to mass produced hybrid golf carts.

The solar panels made for golf carts offer a trickle of power. However, I am told that if /when lithium batteries are perfected for golf carts solar panel will be all that is needed to recharge them.

I still prefer the hybrid golf cart idea. The price on such a cart would just skyrocket wouldn't it.

Anyone who wants to make the extra money from the charging charge as they would not be free, and people who want more carts to stop at their store and maybe buy something. We are talking about charging stations where the user pays.

Electric vs. Gas
 

Slightly off topic: In all the years I’ve lived here, I’ve never run out of power in my electric carts, and I have taken some pretty long trips in the course of a day. So I have no idea of how many miles the cart will go between charges. And it’s quiet!

Also as a personal preference, I too would not own a gas cart. These units seem to have zero emission controls, though this generally doesn’t affect the cart driver but rather those behind him or her, especially in tunnels. More serious to my thinking is having walked through the garages of friends with gas golf carts, where the odor of gasoline and exhaust is overpowering. To me, this is a concern, especially in those homes with a natural gas water heater in the garage. However, I also understand that for those who live in the "far reaches" of TV, a gas cart might be unavoidable.

I own a gas cart and have not experienced the smelly garage syndrome some talk about. Yes sometimes I smell emissions, but it is not that bad. I have smelled worse emissions. lol

But, back on topic. I think if someone could come up with the land/space and the power requirements feeding off some system to be monitored and billed properly to that owner, it would be a very good investment! The trick is finding the proper place to "park the carts" near businesses, entertainment in the squares, and other areas where the space and cost is at a premium.
If so possible, maybe 4 charging stations available. Charge maybe $1.00+ for 15 minutes of use. Maybe make it like a parking meter. Put in debit card, or a card they purchased from the business with monies on it. There would have to be a way to not have someone monopolize the system for their personal usage. If it was cost prohibitive accept for emergencies and quick charge to get further, that should help! Let's see.... Usage at avg 12 hours per day * $4 per hour is $48 per day = $17,500 * 4 stations = $70k per year. Less rental space and utility cost and maintenance. Still a good payback scenario. Anyone want to sell some land in those spots?

AND other areas as well
 

There is one in front of my Walgreens and my Albertsons market and many in Downtown Seattle. The state installed them all along the I 5 hwy from Oregon to the Canadian border every 40 miles they left out the metro area but that has been covered by the county. The state (and my county) had a big push to encourage the purchase of electric cars. You swipe your credit card and they are a quick charge so charge up fast full charge for a car is 30 min. A friend has a leaf and says she can always find a place to charge up, doesn't even pull her dodge out of the garage for trips unless she is going east of the mountains or out of state. State paid 1 mill for the whole network to be put in. I don't know what king county paid for the metro Seattle part but they received a 1 mil grant from the feds to help offset the cost.

The charging stations could have meters on the like on Few of the lighted tennis courts so you pay for certain amount of time. Then, if the meter was run out of time could have metermaid/golf carting police come along pass out tickets for those leaving their carts in the charging station slot with meter runout:pepper2::pepper2:. Or there could be tax on all Elect. golf carts to pay for the charging stations:pepper2:. Remember it's all about TAX and spend:cus:...... meter maid could also pass out tickets for illegal golf cart parking generating even more cash to spend:cus:. Hey, I just thought of big one how about parking meters all around all the town squares:eclipsee_gold_cup:? With that the monorail system could be thought?????

who do you think pays for all the beautiful flowers and paths and gorgeous surroundings in and around the villages.....WE DO....and I for one will pay for that anytime. Gas carts stink when you're behind them....The new square is almost 35 mins. from my home in Santiago....I know I could make it out there in my electric cart, I just don't know if I could make it home with out stopping for a quick charge.

That's my point. Why should the majority pay for the minority's charging needs. The infrastructure would be expensive. In most cases, adjacent businesses would not have the capacity to "add on " charging stations. Plus, tearing up streets and sidewalks would be expensive to do correctly. IMHO, nice idea, not practical.

Since ther are already charging stations in the regular parking I would think it would not think it would be that hard to install them in brown wood

Any business that would like to make two or three times what the electricity cost.

Electric cars and street legal vehicles have onboard chargers. The charging stations I have seen are just plug in so they would need to be altered to charge golf carts.

Some of the posters sound just like so many of our politicians. It is sure great to have these grandiose suggestionns when you are spending other people's money. No real indepth benefit/expense analyst here. Cost to build, maintain. How many do we need where would we place them. would you chrge users? if so how much. should we add air hoses along side sowe can pump up our tires, a often cause reason people go slower and use more juice. Should those cart owner with gas carts be exempt for the start up cost?

Please if you want more distance consider a gas cart and save the rest of us more of our retirement savings for more useful things

Sounds like you have a business idea. Why not go ahead and set up the stations and start making money for yourself if you think it's pratical.

Am I missing something here? Why is it assumed this would be so expensive? This thing could be run off a generator in a parking lot.

As far as spending OPM, many here don't play golf, pickle ball or tennis. I have paid school taxes for other peoples children, contributed to a Social Security system that will be bankrupt before I collect a dime and public transportation that I hope I never have to ride.

Why is it assumed that charging station would have to be subsidized by TV, what happened to the free market? As far as the builder, they already have golf cart stores in each town square, what would it take to run power around the back for charging stations?

I guess it depends on who is making the $$$.