The new hot toy for any neighborhood is a golf cart. They are easy to drive and maintain. The kids love to ride them to friend’s houses and they are a pleasure to drive on the under 25 mph speed limits of any neighborhood road. For Lake Lanier residents golf carts can be especially helpful. Most come with rear loading decks for easy transport of groceries to the boat dock or transporting passengers. However before you run out to buy a golf cart you have to ask yourself one question, gas or electric?
Application & Preference
When Lake Lanier residents look into buying a golf cart they invariably ask, “What’s better, gas or electric?” The answer is always the same; it largely depends on how you plan to use your golf car and what your preferences are. For the average user either type of golf car will make a perfectly fine recreational vehicle. Electric golf carts run nearly silently and have no fuels or oils to deal with, perfect for supporters of the green movement. Gas golf carts are a little more on the noisy side and will obviously require gas to operate.
Electric golf carts do depend on their batteries for power, so if you’re someone who wants to use your golf cart for hours upon hours at a time, you may want to stick with gas. This especially holds true for those who enjoy camping and RVing and if you don’t have access to power neither will your electric golf cart.
Another point that’s often forgotten is the amount of accessories you plan to install on your golf cart. If you want stereos, lighting, fans, and heaters all of this takes a considerable amount of power. For an electric cart this energy comes right out of the same bank of batteries that your motor relies on. Gas golf cart accessories will also rely on battery power; however, they feature a starter/generator that will charge the battery on its own while the gas pedal is depressed. This doesn’t mean a gas golf cart battery is invincible – any accessories left on while the cart isn’t running will eventually kill your battery.
Performance
In the beginning, golf cars were designed to simply be what their name implies, cars for golfing. While either type of cart can easily haul you and a friend around most reasonable kinds of terrain there are other points to consider when making a decision – especially for those who expect a little more.
With horsepower ratings ranging from 10-12 HP, gas golf cars are as much as 3-4 times more powerful than their electric counterparts. An electric golf cart, on average, will feature a 3-5 HP electric motor – but that’s not to say electric carts aren’t impressively powerful in their own right. Light hauling and yard work can be done with either type of vehicle and both will perform satisfactorily. However those Lake Lanier residents who live on hills or may need to traverse steep inclines to reach their boat docks might want to look more towards a gas golf cart.
As mentioned before, electric golf carts aren’t for those who wish to joy ride for hours a day. An electric cart will typically get around two hours of continuous motor run time before the batteries will need re-charging. This translates to anywhere between 22-30 miles depending on usage and the terrain. While there are no official statistics from golf cart manufacturers, gas powered carts have very impressive fuel economy. Gas tanks vary between 5-6 US gallons and a full tank can net you nearly 200 miles between fill-ups, which is around 30 MPG!
Aside from power sources and horsepower ratings, both types of vehicles operate in much the same fashion. To the untrained eye you couldn’t get the two apart from each other, and for the most part, they both ride and handle the same. Both types of vehicles will get about 14-15 mph top-speed.
Maintenance
All in all, both types of golf carts have fairly light requirements when it comes to maintenance. With electric carts your main concern lies within your batteries. Make sure you check the water levels monthly and top-off as needed. The batteries are the lifeblood of an electric car and with a replacement set costing over $600; it’s not something you want to ignore. With proper maintenance of batteries and responsible charging habits you can expect to get 5-6 years (sometimes longer) of solid performance before they will need replacing. In comparison, neglecting your batteries can shorten their lifespan to as little as 1-2 years.
Gas golf carts, on the other hand, do require periodic oil changes as well as replacement air, fuel filters, and spark plugs when necessary. For the do-it-yourselfer it’s pretty routine stuff if you don’t mind getting a little dirty. Filters are relatively inexpensive and golf cart motors take only a quart or so of 10W30 oil after every 250 hours of motor run time. The best way to stay on top of maintenance is to purchase and install an hour meter for the motor and with proper care a gas golf cart can last you a lifetime.
Maintenance costs will be about equal if you take care of your golf cart. If not, electric golf carts tend to be more expensive largely due to the cost of replacing batteries.
Summary
Now that you have a better idea of how both gas and electric golf cars operate, hopefully you’ll have an easier time making a decision. Keep in mind Lake Lanier residents before purchasing a golf cart of your own its intended purpose. Will you be traversing large hills or carrying lots of cargo? Will you be near a power plug to charge your batteries? How long do you intend to keep this golf cart? Both gas and electric golf carts are great choices. By asking yourself some of the questions above you can come to the conclusion of which cart is right for you and your needs.
