Lithium Carts
 

I am back in TV for the first time since August. My wife was here in February. We have 2 rentals and each has a Yamaha gas cart. We are moving here permanantly in about 1 1/2 years, so looking at another cart at some point. One thing struck me HUGE since I have been back and that is how many less Yamaha carts are on the road. It used to be 90%, now it is more like 75-80% Seems like more than half the new carts out there are Lithium EZGO, Star, or Evolution. I talked to a guy at the Villages golf cars and he said he sells more than half of the carts as Lithium, even with the slightly higher price. I have talked to a bunch of people at the squares in all 3 Lithium carts and everyone LOVES them. They all told me they got 60 or 80 miles of range and that was plenty (I agree). So, just was wondering what everyone thought of this trend? Also, if you have a lithium cart, how do you like it? I am VERY interested in an Evolution cart because they get better reviews than star and are way cheaper. Please comment.

I have a '22 Evolution 4 seater. I bought lithium for a couple of reasons: I live South of the turnpike and they have no gas stations there. The second reason is that I it has less maintenance than the gas carts. I still work so I don't use my cart as frequently as many people do, mainly on the nights and weekends. I easily get about 80 miles to a charge and plan accordingly.

Having said that only having 80 miles does have it's limitations depending on how much risk you want to take on a trip. If going a distance and just wanting to top off the charge, it's important to be prepared and find out if you can find an outlet to charge from. In my case its nothing special, just 120V outlet will work, but none of the squares have "Charging stations" or just outdoor outlets. I am told it may be on the horizon.

The quality and performance of the cart has meet my expectations and the service I get from The Villages Discount Golf Car has been great as well.

EZ GO Elite lithium all the way. I always pay attention and know how much range I have to start. 60 miles of range is more than plenty on any given day. Quicker, smoother, less noise and vibration than any gas cart on the market. Practically zero maintenance, and you can leave in garage at 30-40% charge over the summer without problems when you return.

Make sure you are happy with the ride.............they are much stiffer.

The disadvantages I can think of on new EzGo lithium carts is higher price tag, 60 mile range before recharging, and narrower size than Yamaha. In our case the advantages were worth it: smooth powerful ride, quiet ride where you can easily hear conversation, no smelly fumes, lower maintenance, and no trips to the gas station.

Same here, over 20,000 trouble free miles in 3+ years on ours.

If on a budget, prioritize comfortable seats. (For any golf cart)

One thing to check into cost of replacing the batteries. They should last 3-4 years and the older the batteries get the mileage goes down.

Research the Hemp power batteries. Also, there are many litium batteries exploding while driving and charging. Very hazardous to the environment from mining to fires.

Evolution carts yes - due to the cool-looking low profile tires. I prefer more air between my bottom end and the road. Plenty of comments about the harsh ride of the Evolution and the expensive ways to "fix" it.

Good Questions, Test drove the Star cart and it is very quick and have a friend who has one. Loves it. I could have bought a loaded cart in 2020 for less than 10K including the governors cut.

Star cart accelerator is too close to my leg and brake needs considerable force. Not comfortable for long rides for me. Leg almost hits steering wheel. Brake pedal in the EZ Go is the best as it automatically locks up and is almost like a power brake in a car. Consider your height when purchasing. I am 6 ft 2 inches and only cart that I do not have to duck to get in is a Yamaha and they do not make a good electric cart for TV.

Waiting(hoping) that Yamaha gets a new lithium battery model. No smell, great acceleration and is not "jerky" when backing up slowly.

[QUOTE=Ritagoyer;2220483]One thing to check into cost of replacing the batteries. They should last 3-4 years and the older the batteries get the mileage goes down.[/QUOTE`

Lead acid 3-4 yrs yes. Lithium 8 yr guarantee on the EZ GO.`

And the Yamaha is wider. Sometimes good and other times not so good.

I would never buy a gas cart. I have a 23 year old electric Club Car. I installed 4 12v Lithium batteries and it will go all day without a recharge. There are very few parts to go wrong on an electric cart and almost no maintenance. Not only are the gas carts noisy & polluting, you need to either store smelly flammable gas in your garage or make trips in the cart to the gas station. My neighbor had their gas cart leak on their garage floor last year & you can still smell it. Gas cart engines are complex and need frequent maintenance. I am always seeing gas carts broke down on the trail but have never seen an electric cart in trouble. Pay no attention to the people who think that all lithium batteries are fire hazards. The media just likes to focus on the rare catastrophes for their shock value. Today's golf carts use quality cells in their batteries with built-in charging management to prevent over heating & over charging which can lead to a fire. Many people suffer from range-anxiety and are afraid of running out of juice. Believe me, unless you are doing a 24 hour run, the electric carts will run from one end of TV to the other with juice left over. My next car will be electric also.

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/fo...c-club-car.jpg

Lithium batteries last much longer than 3-4 years.

Revenge of the D students...