golf cart

Electric golf carts are on the rise. They represent low-end disruptions in developed markets while representing new-market disruptions in emerging markets. In fact, they beat the non-disruptive Tesla in the market today.

The United States held the top position in 2016 in the global golf cart market. The electric golf carts segment held the top product type in the same year and it’s projected to maintain its dominance in the future.

Questions to Ask When Buying an Electric Golf Cart

With all these news coming out talking about the rising popularity of buying electric golf carts for sale, you could be one of its future buyers interested in knowing more about these vehicles.

So how do you find the best electric golf cart for you? You should ask yourself the following questions:

  • Golf cart, NEV, LSV? What are they and how are they all different?

A Neighborhood Electric Vehicle (NEV) is also often known as a Low-Speed Vehicle (LSV).

These are 4-wheeled vehicles built to specific standards by licensed manufacturers. They can be used on roads that require a speed limit up to 35 miles per hour.

Electric golf carts are operated mostly within residential areas approved by the city or county government.  Its regular speed is usually below 20 miles per hour depending on the model and voltage of the cart.

Electric golf carts may need more requirements before driving such as a permit decal and registration from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Every golf cart driver must also have a proof of liability insurance and driver’s license when driving the permitted electric golf cart.

  • How many seats do you need?

A typical golf cart may not have the capacity to carry more than two people. You need to know first how many will often sit in the unit to determine the best unit size.

Also take note that the more people you want a golf cart to accommodate, the more you’ll need to check for safety features available such as seat belts, proper suspension, power system, and braking system.

  • How far can electric golf carts go?

An electric golf cart can have a 36-volt or 48-volt system. An average electric golf cart with a 48-volt system can go for 40 miles on a single charge up to 80 miles if driving through flat and level surfaces.

  • How many hours does it take to fully charge an electric golf cart?

There’s no specific number of charging hours common among all kinds of electric golf carts. It will always depend on the battery quality, how discharged the batteries are, and charger quality.

A new set of batteries with a heavy-duty charger can be charged after 1-3 hours. Old batteries with a lightweight charger can take 10 hours or more.

  • New electric golf carts or used electric golf carts?

New and used electric golf carts have their own advantages and disadvantages. New electric golf carts are always clean and untouched from factories and they come with warranties. Used units are cheaper than new ones but their parts and accessories are already used.

Getting new units can be better especially if you’re not on a budget. But if you know how to customize used electric golf carts, you can always upgrade it to something better without spending much.

Questions to Ask When Buying Used Electric Golf Carts

So you might be interested in buying used electric golf carts to save more money. But before going ahead and take home one – or two – consider asking yourself and the seller a few questions:

  • Is this used or refurbished?

You’ll encounter different labels such as used and refurbished or reconditioned cheap electric golf carts.

Used electric golf carts are usually sold as it is. No repairs. No upgrades. It’s just the actual thing sold in its latest condition.

Refurbished or reconditioned electric golf carts, however, mean that the vehicle has gone through minor or major upgrades. These upgrades can include a simple body repaint and new tires or it can go as far as having a brand new motor and battery.

Used electric golf carts can be really cheap. But then, the cheapest and heavily used can require you to shell out more money to keep them running for, hopefully, a year.

Refurbished electric golf carts can either give you a good deal as they can perform perfectly with half the price of a brand new electric golf cart. The problem happens when you have purchased a heavily used “refurbished” unit that still uses the same old engine and batteries.

You may end up getting scammed to take home a used golf cart for an unreasonable price. So remember to go for a certified dealer with a good reputation.

  • What is the age of the electric golf cart?

Check the model of the unit. An older unit can give you problems when you want to look for certain compatible parts in the future.

You can also ask your dealer about the total number of hours or cycles the unit has. If this is left unanswered, better look for another unit or dealer. Who knows? You might make a mistake of buying an overused electric golf cart with over 2000 hours of use.

  • What is the battery used and how is it?

The top battery brands include Trojan, US Battery, Crown, and Interstate. If your target unit uses a different brand, you’ll have to do more research about its performance.

Don’t forget to check the unit’s battery age. These batteries should be free of corrosion and doesn’t have bulging sides.

  • What are the features of the used electric golf cart for sale?

Does it need to be licensed? Can it be used to drive around gated communities? Is it comfortable to drive?

The best electric golf cart for you is the one that matches your own set of requirements. List down the features you want an electric golf cart to have so you can easily filter down your choices.

Watch Out for Better Cheap Electric Golf Carts in the Future

The increasing electric golf cart demand isn’t only limited inside the United States.

Take a look at China that may have congested roads and sparse infrastructure. These factors may suggest that electric golf carts will never enter their market.

But, they are actually one of the largest markets for electric vehicles in the world with a record of purchasing 200,000 low-speed electric vehicles in 2013. Electric golf carts won’t be far away from getting accepted by the Chinese and the global market in the future.

With more demand, more varieties of electric golf carts for sale will be available in the future. What do you think will be the newest features every manufacturing brand will reveal soon?

Sources:

Golf Cart Battery & Charger FAQ

  1. Caleb. (2017, January 15) Helpful Tips to Consider When Purchasing a Golf Cart

Golf Cart Market, by Component, End Users, Product Type, Seating Capacity, and by Geography – Global Forecast to 2025 (2017, November 22).

  1. Caleb.  (2017, March 10) 5 Things to Look For When Buying a Used Electric Golf Cart.

Bartman, T. (2015, May 14) The Future of Electric Vehicles Is Golf Carts, Not Tesla

Golf Cart Buyer’s Guide: How to Buy The Right Golf Cart

Low Speed Vehicles and Golf Carts.