3 Reasons Why Gas Golf Carts Are Better Than Lithium Ion Golf Carts!

When you search "Lithium Vs. Gas Golf Cart" online, you may find an abundance of articles leaning more towards a Lithium cart compared to Gas cart. Range, Charging, and Cost are three factors that separate Lithium and Gas Golf Carts. 

RANGE

Range is the distance a golf cart can go on a full tank of gas, or a full charge. The size of tank, amp hour rating, and many more factors determine the range of a golf cart. For gas golf carts, the size of the gas tank can be anywhere from 6 to 12 gallons. For lithium golf carts, the battery may have an Amp Hour Rating of 105AH, 150AH, or 200AH (AH stands for "Ampere-Hour"). The Amp Hour Rating is precisely how much power the Amp gives the golf cart in an hour time. 

A gas golf cart can go anywhere from 150-200 miles per tank of gas. On the other hand, a lithium golf cart will get you anywhere from 20-70 miles per charge, depending on the battery's amp hour rating. 

This factor is only consistent with how long you want to travel on your golf cart without having to fill up your gas tank or charge your battery. For example, if your golf cart is mainly for golfing, but the golf course is 10 miles away, that'll be a 20-mile round trip. A gas golf cart may be more reliable in this scenario as the 20-mile round trip doesn't take driving the course into consideration. 

CHARGING

Although a gas golf cart doesn't "charge," you still have to refuel it. A lithium cart plugs in to charge for a couple of hours, to where you're unable to drive the golf cart at this time, unless you stop the charging.

A gas golf cart can go 3-5 times further per tank of gas compared to a fully charged lithium cart. 

When you get low on gas in your gas golf cart, you just fill it back up within 5-10 minutes and go another 150 miles. On the other hand, when your lithium battery starts to die, you're going to need to charge it for about 3-6 hours to be able to use it again.

Let's say it's Sunday, and you're getting ready to go golf 18 holes with the guys. You hop on your lithium golf cart, ready to go, only to find that the battery is 10% and never plugged in. This would be quite disheartening as you are now unable to go golf, unless a body picks you up. 

COST

When it comes to comparing these golf carts, it's hard to compare apples-to-apples because, obviously, a lithium cart will cost more than a gas golf cart. What matters the most is the total cost after a couple years of ownership.

With a gas golf cart, you will be paying a few $100 to fill it up and give it its yearly maintenance. 

On the other hand, a lithium battery may go out after 8 years of use with a lithium golf cart. Let's also say this is pass the "5-year warranty," which means you'll have to pay full price for the battery, which can be anywhere from $2000 to $4000. 

Overall, you would find yourself spending more money on a lithium golf cart compared to a gas golf cart over a 10-year period. 

RANGE, CHARGING, COST

So, if you want the furthest range possible; to spend a little less money upfront, or even long term; and you don't want to deal with the hassle of charging, then a gas golf cart may be the way to go.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to let me know either in the comments or by emailing me at Sloan@BACarts.com. 

Thank you for reading!