What people drive is based on what they bought. What they bought was based on:
- what was available - electric carts have only become widely available in the last few years
- what was popular - your point about what they see in the squares
- the level of misinformation - contrary to what we are likely to see in this thread, electric carts are not exploding daily throughout the Villages
- practical considerations - over 50 miles per day, no convenient access to a gas station, noise level, features, etc.

"Popular" is not the same as "best." Using your criteria, if I walked around the squares I would definitively conclude that City Fire was the best restaurant and Michelob Ultra, Miller Light, and Yuengling were the best beers.

Looks to be an older cart. Glad all are safe.

The notch in the front is similar to a Club Car Precedent.
The article mentioned lithium batteries.

Put it out? Only after everything that could burn got burned up. Or maybe the covered it up till everything got burned up?

With newer batteries.

So what brand of car? Certain brand don’t recommend parking them in garage due to fire hazard? Till they figure out what they did wrong? And what does millions of cars compare to few golf carts.

From the picture, it looks like an older club car precedent. The article said it was a lithium battery that caught fire. Looking at the picture, I would say it was a do your own installation. Something that really should be left to a professional..

Rollie

Electric golf carts have been widely available for a long time. Perhaps you mean lithium electric carts ?

Villages News article yesterday (Sunday). Yes, it was lithium batts.

FD used a new blanket to put it out. Bought specifically for electric (lithium) golf cart fires.

I should have been more clear, I mean electric carts sold within the Villages.

When I bought my first cart in 2020 there were not many electric carts offered at The Villages or The Villages Discount. When I bought my second in 2022 I found choices by four manufacturers.

The increase in availability did seem to follow the pattern crease in lithium - that probably is not just a coincidence.

Played golf on a mountain course recently. They had Icon carts. Great choice for torque and instant power. I must say riding it on hard surfaces, it felt like a lumber wagon and the steering was not carlike compared to the ride and handling of the new Yamahas.

BrianL999's graph/pie chart shows a decent amount of carts sold are solar. Gotta admit, never in my life have I seen a solar cart.

As for putting the fire out with the "special" blanket and leaving. nothing but the charred frame, the need for the blanket has to do with how lithium batteries can self-rekindle hours or even days after they are "put out." At least according to the article at the new site which must never be named.

Most country clubs lease carts and the majority lease electric carts.


There are number of reasons why it's more practical for them to use electric carts & infrastructure became one of those reasons, when storing and handling gasoline became so expensive and regulation intensive.

The vast majority of so-called "solar powered" gas carts, simply use solar panels to help charge the batteries. I'm not aware of any carts that operate with "direct solar" ... doesn't seem practical to me.

PowerDrive Golf Car Solar Panels

Forensics - not much to go on there. Owner's testimony and records.

Solar carts - you can buy a canopy with photoelectric cells on them, but it is not much more than a trickle charger. Would keep your cart fully charged if you left it in the sun while on vacation.
In Florida that would be cooking your cart !

All the lithium batteries I'm aware of (for golf carts) are Lithium Iron Phosphate LiFePO4 or LFP for short, much safer and forgiving than Lithium ion.
But, also from what I know all LFP are from you know where. Some are assembled in the US, but cells are from you know where.
Same with electric bikes - correct me if I'm wrong; not such an expert those.

I would like to know the brand of golf cart, conversion or OEM or replacement for the OEM batteries, the brand of the batteries ???