Electric golf cart range and battery life
 

Most golf carts mfg. state their carts have say a 30 mile range. ( except those that have 8-6 battery config.

My question.

After you drive your 30 miles are the batteries totally dead?
Or do you need to charge at between 12 and 15 miles of use to keep the batteries in top notch condition.

I have 6-8volt batteries and after 30 miles, they are not dead. I probably could get another 10 miles out of them, but it's not worth the risk of draining them too far. One time I forgot to reset the trip meter on my speedometer when I charged the cart, then did so after using the cart for a while. I forgot it wasn't accurate and used the cart some more and probably put on over 40 miles when I noticed the digital meter blinking. I charged the cart immediately after the batteries cooled and it's been fine since.

I suspect the manufacturer is trying to convey that the pack should be fine to drive 30 miles before it needs a charge (of course charge after any use not just 30 miles). There has to be a bunch of fine print around such a statement as the answer depends so much on the condition of the batteries, condition of cart, etc.

It is hard to know if this is good for your batteries as you need to know what the depth of discharge for 30 miles is for that particular cart.

As I have said before I like to charge the pack before the volts drop below 48.4 volts at rest. In my Club Car with 6-8v NEW batteries that happens at around 35 miles, in my Club car with 8-6V batteries that happened at 50 miles*** last year.

*** I have not measured them this year, but they are now two years old and have likely lost some range.

Sparky carts
 

Thanks for both replies. Very encouraged about getting 50 miles with 8 - 6 battery config. before charging. Not planning to go that far on a regular basis at all but who knows? I just want to be able to go to Lopez course from south of 466 A and return maybe needing lights and not have to worry.

:2excited:

I am very intrigued by the EZGO RXV with 6-8v batteries. The AC drive is more efficient than DC.

Would be great to get some real data on one if anyone has the time. Would love to know what the voltage of the pack is after driving 25, 35 , or more miles.

I read all the time that someone goes <a big number> miles, but I never see what the state of the pack is after that happens.

That will never happen,almost impossible to do that,regardless of what the manufactures say.

Don't be so sure!
 

Ohioboy drove our 2010 4 seater Club Car Precedent from Sabal Chase to Mulberry and back one afternoon last week, then we drove up and back to the shuttle station in Sumter Landing to pick up my sister and her luggage, then drove to Cane Garden CC (the long way, down to Bonita and then up Bailey Trail, then decided to eat at Mallory after all and drove over from Cane Garden with lights on part of the way, had dinner and then drove back to Sabal Chase (south of the pool on Canal) with lights on. Had 3 people on it after the Mulberry trip. It is a 35 minute cart ride from our house to Mulberry - one way. Not sure of the mileage by golf cart.

We are about 2 miles from Cane Garden, 1 mile (more by golf cart) from LSL and probably less than a mile from Mallory.

The 4 seater has original batteries that are about 1.5 years old. This is our 2nd cart and we don't drive it all the time, but it never gets as good a range as the 2 seater.

Electric vs. gas
 

I will be moving to TV in the first quarter of 2013. I would like to know your collective experience and preference with both electric and gas carts since I am still undecided on which one to buy. I will be using the cart for both general transportation and golf. Cheers!

We live in Duval near Truman Rec Center. We have driven to Amberwood, played 9 and then gone to Spanish Springs for lunch and home again. I have no problem going to Lopez for dinner or entertainment. RXV with 4x12volt.

I bought Elec as I did not like the noise or the stink of the gas carts. I have driven over 40 miles in our elec before reaching the half way point. I do not smoke and seem to be sensitive the to gas fumes from gas carts that give me a headache. I would feel comfortable with going 50 miles on a charge. My batteries are Trojan and are 3 years old.

I have a Polaris with 6-8volt batteries one year old. Recently I drove from St. James to Lopez, played 18 holes of golf and returned with 50% charge left.

I have an 2010 EZGO RXV 4 passenger with the 4/12 volt configuration. The batteries are 2.5 years old and the cart has 5,000 miles on it. I have noticed a deterioration in range but that doesn't prevent me from zooming all over The Villages. We live in Pennecamp and going to Spanish Springs and back, or Walmart on 466 and back, Approx 16-18 miles round trip, the batteries are approx. 50% discharged.

Obviously, more weight, i.e. 4 passengers vs 2, the range will decrease. Playing 9 holes of golf going from Pennecamp to Saddlebrook, the furthest course from our home that we played, approx 15 miles round trip, plenty of power left, approx 75% charge.

If I had to do it over again, I would have opted for more batteries, i.e. the 6/8 volt configuration, just to have a little extra range. Hope these numbers help you in your decision.

I routinely go 60 miles in my ParCar without charging. They claim 80 but have never tested that limit. I'm not sure how much drain playing 18 holes takes out of an electric cart but I'm told it can be a signnificant amount. My one bad experience is going from Duval and playing 18 at OBH and then forgetting to charge. The following day we played 18 at Lopez and made it within a block of getting back home. All that on one charge.

I think Par Car would stand behind the cart going 80 miles per charge as long as you are willing to buy batteries every year :D.

IMO, a key piece of information when folks talk about how far we go on a charge is the state of the pack when we get home. A good approximation is the pack's voltage, measured after the voltage settles (15 mins). This gives insight into the state of the pack and gives a true indicator of how far a particular cart can go without discharging the pack too deeply (less than 48.4v). I wish folks would share information like this. I say that as TV is a pretty unique place for golf cart usage. The more we share among electric cart owners the more we learn.

As an example last year I did a road (no golf) test with my Club Car that has 8-6v two year old batteries. At that time the cart could do 45 miles before it discharged to 48.4v. Could I go 60? Yes, but everything I read says to not discharge that deeply. I do not know how true that is, but I read it everywhere.