Electric cart range with 8 6V batteries
 

I have a modified 2011 Club car DS with 8 6V Trojan T125 batteries and a 5.5 HP motor. Currently getting 45 miles with real world driving on the Villages cart paths, while retaining abut 15% reserve when returning.

Are others experiencing a similar driving range?

Also curious if this electric cart might be capable of climbing the very steep bridge over Hwy 441?

Yes, one can get over the bridge with an electric cart. I have 2 year old 8/6 volt T125 batteries in my ParCar and drive it from Penneycamp cross the bridge, go to Lowes and return to home w/o any difficultly. I too get 45/55 miles per charge with 15/20% charge left. Hope this helps.

With the addition solar you can bump that range up into the 70's

Solar will give no more than a 4-5% bump up during continuous driving unless you stop the cart for a while, a LONG while. That said, a typical continuous run will only add 2-3 miles in range. Don't get me wrong. I am a staunch advocate of alternative power sources. If anyone tries to sell you the solar based on those claims then AVOID. The best application/use I can recommend is for the 18 hole golfer who then goes out for cocktails or dinner (lunch) and then home.
An 18 hole round of golf will take between 4 and 4-1/2 hours and cover approximately 5 miles from start to finish. That gives a fair amount of time for the panels to charge while only discharging 5 miles of driving use. If you then head to the clubhouse or downtown for lunch or dinner and stay for a few hours then you get additional charge.
Sounds stupid to say but for some reason many are unaware, solar panels will NOT charge your batteries on very overcast days or at NIGHT.
Lastly, there are several options for solar panels, mostly in their amperage rating, or simply put, how quickly the batteries will charge. The higher the amperage rating, the more expensive. My cart takes 10-12 hours to fully charge from almost fully discharged with a standard 20 Amp Club Car Charger. Many solar panels are simply 1-2 Amp chargers. At that rate it would take 100-240 hours to fully charge with solar panels alone. A cart with a 40 mile range (mine with 6 @ 8 volt batteries) would only get 0.4 miles range for every hour of solar charge, at best!

I get over the golf cart bridge several times a day on my 2002 Club Car with three year old batteries.

What would make you think that any electric cart can't get over the bridge?

Not sure where you're getting this info from, my panel puts out many more amps than that in a day, hasn't been plugged in to shore power for years.

My range is over 70 miles a day

How many amps and watts does your panel put out ? ? ? Or don't you know ? ? ?

Still waiting for that test drive you've been talking about. When will it be?

Yes I do know.

I am curious where the 15% reserve number comes from?

Sounds like he means 85% was drawn down perhaps to 46.5 volts

Please, what are the specs? Watts and amps.

Reality check to the claims of increasing the range of an electric cart by 50% with the addition of a solar panel:

Since the owner of the cart that hasn’t been connected to shore power for years and puts out many more “amps per day” than 1-2 amps will not reveal the specs for his cart, I will offer a reasonable estimate.

A typical high efficiency solar panel that is 3’x5’ (reasonable size to put on the top of a cart) puts out 275 watts at standard test conditions (1000 watts/M^2 of sunshine). The typical real world energy density you can expect for a full sunny day is 800 watts/M^2. At this density that panel puts out 205 Watts.

This energy is delivered at approximately 31 to 35 volts depending on load. Since the golf carts run on 36 or 48 volt nominal voltage, a DC to DC converter is required to convert the solar panel output to a voltage that would be able to charge the batteries. This converter even if 85% efficient would reduce the usable output of the panel to 175 watts. At a 48 volt nominal battery voltage that would be 3.6 amps.

The typical cart riding around the Villages draws 25-150 amps depending on whether they are coasting, climbing an incline, extra weight in the cart, etc. Additionally, the weight of the panel, mounting hardware, wiring and converter would be equivalent to an extra battery in the cart (approx. 65 lbs), further reducing the usable energy from the solar panel.

So as a previous poster alluded to, if you travel slow then park in the sun for a reasonable period of time, rinse wash, and repeat, you will get a minimal increase in range, over batteries only.

As to not having to ever connect the cart to shore power, you will either need a big hole in your garage roof to let in the sun or park the cart outside, neither option is very desirable.

Just my opinion, I may be wrong.

You're calculations are off by a lot.

Let's leave it a that, to be candid, this info is proprietary info and I'm not posting it, in essence giving out a lot time and $$ in research and development of the system.

It works and has been demonstrated here in TV.

This really has no application on 36v

I don't use a converter? it's a controller.
Panel and aluminum hardware about 35#, wire 2# maybe all up #40.
you can't really add one it would be two at 130#

That's simply not correct, I proven it with two carts.

you can bring yours in and plug in.

My cart stays out all day, no garage needed.;)

I will sell two 110V chargers if interested, don't need them

Where's your proof ? ? You would need a huge solar cell. Propriatary is another term for "I won't tell you but just believe me".

ok what ever you say

I don't see any calcs provided from anyone else to refute mine other than a broad stroke qualitative "Just believe me".

Unless the panel is from NASA or some other govt funded agency developing a super solar cell, the facts are the maximum upper limit for today's technology is about 16 watts per sq foot. The rest is just math. As the other poster said, you can ask someone to believe you because it's proprietary but for anyone else who know anything about the technology, they can call BS.

Oh, and as for the comment about controller vs converter, please don't try to divert the issue. The point is that there is another "thing" in the system that sucks energy and adds weight, period.

So why talk about solar if to get to work you need sun:0000000000luvmyhors

Nope, it's higher than 16, it's not just watts it's voltage and % of efficiency. ;)

Ok, you win, it's 16.5 not 16. The 16 or 16.5 whichever you prefer is at 100% efficiency. Unless your proprietary panel is 300% efficient (makes energy out of nothing) it still doesn't support your claim that adding solar to a cart with 45 mile range will increase the range by 50% to 70 miles.

Look, I know what your claiming is impossible, just laying out some numbers with a basis to educate the less informed so they don't get sucked into the snake oiled flavored Kool aide that's being passed around.

Come for ride with your GPS then, care to place a wager;)

Publish your proof and lets see some endorsements from other users. Or are you only one who has this miracle?

Many thanks for your comments. Another quick question, does your motor overheat after driving a steady 10 miles or more. Mine does.

My cart struggles slightly out of local tunnels from a standing stop. That bridge appears to be much steeper, so I was concerned about stalling on the way up. I'm glad to hear about how well yours works. Another factor, mine has high speed gears, which yield less pulling power.

I did a test run until the cart would not move appreciably, getting 58 miles. Passers by pushed me home, as I didn't plan my route well. Now my only issue is motor overheating when used for a 12 mile continuous run. High speed gears may be a contributor.

I'm also working on a end of life basis of 43 volts

We own a Star with 8 6 volt Trojan t105's and a Yamaha with 6 8 volt Trojan Ranger 160's. Either can go 30 miles on a 50% discharge or 50 miles with a decent reserve left.
I would avoid the configuration of 6 8 volt Trojan T 875's if you regularly go over 20-25 miles-not enough reserve power.
It's not just a question of range, but also having a system that will maintain 47-48 volts at full throttle for the best performance!

Bfischel" I purchased new a 2006 Club Car Precedent I added higher gears and logically it over heated the motor. Because of this and the increase noise of the gears I switched them out for a larger engine. I retained the speed some 27mph bt fond tat the motor overheated and would come to a complete stop. so I had to wait until it cooled down to continue my trip. This stopping cooling starting continued until reached home.

I got fed up with this and replaced it with a standard motor. My cart can only go about 20mph but I am happier.

I can go from 466 to the furthest side on the north play golf go back over the bridge back home and my analog meter is still on fully charged.

I was one of the first to install a solar panel (Suncatcher) but I can't honestly tell you if it adds anything to my 6/8volt Powertron batteries. I suspect I do get a trickle .

I went with my wife to test a gas cart and we hadn't left the parking lot when she said that the noise was too much.
I am told that lithium batteries work best with solar panels but at this point they are cost prohibitive .

I let the experts argue the pros or cons of solar. Finally I had heard when I purchased my panel 6 years go that one homeowner upon purchasing the same solar panel had a solar tube installed above his cart letting the sun in daily

My 2002 Club Car with six 3 year old, eight colt batteries easily goes over the bridge after I've gone 25 miles.

I saw an advertisement on television for solar panels. I wanted to know the price and a few other small details about the product so I went to the website. The website had no information but had a phone number. The person on the phone would not give me any information regarding cost but kept pressuring me to give them my address so they could come by and do a demonstration. I told here that there would be sense in giving a demonstration if I couldn't afford the product. I got the old, "you can't afford not to have this" and "it doesn't matter what the cost is because you'll save much more than that" etc., etc., "what is your address and will you be home tomorrow morning." She also said That the price is different for every cart and there is a big difference. I asked if she could give me a price range and she asked if I would be home tomorrow morning for a demonstration.
I asked her how many extra miles I could expect to get and was told that it's different for every cart. She asked for my address and would I be home tomorrow morning for a demonstration.
Click. Anyone that has to be so secretive about their proprietary product and so high pressure in the way that they do business is not going to get any more of my time.

46 volts is 10% left of charge, 43V must be dead.

I wouldn't run below 47Volts

When you charge your cart, your charger is putting out 1700 watts. It must be one heck of a solar panel that can fit in the roof of a golf cart that puts out that kind of power.

battery chargers do not output a constant rate, they out in several stages thru their built in controller.

for example Bulk, Absorption, Equalize-Finish, and Float-Maintenance.

I have a hard time staying away from sparky threads
 

After reading this thread, I figured I would share a recent run. My 8-6v pack of T105s turned four years old in February 2014 (2002 Club Car DS). I suppose age is not as important as hours of usage, but age is only reference I have. I am away for 3 months per year. Does this mean they are really three years old? I am not sure, but anyway…

Yesterday my wife and I took fully loaded cart up to Lopez, played 18 holes, ate lunch and drove home (about 24 miles). IMO golf course miles are much harder miles. When I arrived home I unpacked cart allowing the pack to rest for about 10 minutes. I then took the voltage and had 48.8 volts. In addition every battery’s open circuit voltage was within .02. That is a pretty good resting voltage for this pack after that day and IMO a successful capacity test. There is no doubt in my mind I could have whipped over to Brownwood or Spanish Springs, but the pack would have been discharged way past where I like to take it. So we hopped into the other 2002 Club Car :)

For sure this pack is showing its age, on the way home, I hit the go pedal hard coming out of tunnels as a test and the gauge would get down into the red. I have never researched what the voltage is at that red line. I should have hooked up my multi-meter and spun around the block, but too lazy :icon_bored:

I am not trying to preach or pretending to be some kind of an expert, so if this comes across that way I apologize. IMO, never ever let your pack run down to dead. This is very bad for the batteries and it is as important to maintenance as checking the water.

I suggest any electric cart owner get a volt meter installed on the dash and understand what the pack voltage means, especially the open circuit voltage when the cart is stopped. This will make sure you always get home, unless you have some unpredictable failure.

For me personally, I try to never let the pack get below 48.4 volts measured at rest. This number is referred to as 50% state of charge (SOC)

Battery manufacturers state that you should never allow the resting voltage of the pack to get below 46.63 volts. This is 20% SOC.

Click on this link to see how the same pack preformed (no golf) two years ago. It even has a pretty graph....

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...80-post13.html