by Max Johnson
When shopping for a golf cart you should look for specific features that appeal to you. You will need to decide if you are going to purchase an electric cart or gas cart. You will also need to look for a model that will fit all of your needs. Will the unit be used for hauling more than just people or will it strictly be for the purpose of playing golf?
Electric golf carts also known as an electric utility vehicles use a bank of standard lead-acid batteries to run an electric motor. They’re designed to be used all day then recharged all night: at the end of the day, you plug them into a standard power outlet. Some brands also support “opportunity charging,” which allows you to simply plug in the utility vehicle whenever you’re not using it. The two most common power choices are 36 volt or 48 volt – in most cases, a 48 volt model provides better performance. You may also find 24 volt and 72 volt models, but they’re less common.
This type of utility vehicle has greatly increased power and range over models available five or ten years ago. Innovative features such as regenerative braking, which helps recharge the batteries as it slows or goes downhill, help increase battery life. This increases their flexibility in non-golf situations, but for two- or three-shift operations, you’ll need a model that allows for an easy change of batteries when one set runs out.
A distinct advantage of an electric golf cart is their cost to operate: it can be five or 10 times more expensive to operate a gas model. Especially for businesses buying several vehicles, this alone can be enough reason to choose electric utility vehicles. Another deciding factor for many businesses is indoor use: emission-free electric utility vehicles can be used indoors, gasoline engines cannot.
One of the main advantages of gas golf carts is that you can always carry an extra can or two of gas with you, giving you much greater range. For farming and hunting use, this is a big advantage.
For this reason, the “trail utility vehicle” category of gas golf cart is one that gas golf carts or gas utility vehicles are also a good choice for sustained use: spending a weekend away from electric power, or driving quite a bit at night with the lights on. Gasoline engines also provide more power for towing or carrying heavy loads.
Be sure to check on regulations in your area: some communities have gone so far as to ban gas golf carts due to the noise and pollution. Newer 4-cycle engines run cleaner and quieter than older 2-cycle engines that burn an oil and gas mixture, but they’re still dirty and loud compared to zero-emission electric motors.
You won’t find much of a price difference when comparing new electric and gas golf carts. However, over 90% of the used golf cart market comes from vehicles originally leased to private golf courses and country clubs, which are almost exclusively choosing electric models these days. This makes it quite a challenge to find a used gas golf cart.
