Advantages of Lithium Batteries for Street Legal Golf Carts

If you’ve been following our blogs over the years, you might remember “What the World Needs Now is a Better Battery” published in March of 2015. Seven years ago, we were already reporting on the benefits of street legal golf carts with fewer environmental emissions, less conventional traffic, and reduced noise for use in quieter neighborhoods. However, the power source depended on electricity that was still difficult to store and manage. Several co-op members of the Electric Power Research Institute were already testing plug-in hybrid electric vehicles that were using large lithium-ion batteries that could recharge overnight from a standard 110-volt outlet. But the question is, are lithium golf cart batteries worth it?

Just weeks before the global lockdown at the onset of the pandemic back in December of 2019, MotoEV notified consumers that we were offering a new RoyPow 48V 105Ah Lithium Battery Pack upgrade to replace the traditional eight (8) T-105 lead acid batteries used to power their golf cart. Today, RoyPow is the most trusted brand in the industry for upgrading electric golf carts to a maintenance-free lithium-powered ride with a five-hour charge time for up to 50 miles of road time. Lithium batteries are easy to install and up to 300 pounds lighter than the conventional lead-acid batteries they are designed to replace with built-in mechanisms for safe operations including over charging, over discharging, over heating and short circuit protection.

Rechargeable Stored Energy for Over 163 Years

The lead acid battery was invented about a century before the electric golf cart and was originally used to power lights in the passenger coaches when trains were stopped at the station. By converting chemical energy into electrical energy, French physicist Gaston Planté created the most successful secondary power source of all ages. Clearly the precursor to the automotive battery, however, early forms of lead acid batteries were not needed for combustible engines as they were hand started with a crank. After a worker was killed at a manufacturing plant when an engine being cranked backfired, engineers developed an electrical starter system that required a rechargeable source of stored energy.

Now, after 163 years of market dominance, lithium golf cart batteries for street legal golf carts and other low-speed electric vehicles have emerged to deliver more than double the distance travelled on a faster recharge. Once automotive manufacturers turned their attention to developing hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and fully electric vehicles, a new-found need for a better battery was born. From the very beginning, the weight of lead acid batteries made them an impractical choice for low-speed electric vehicle applications. Moreover, if discharged more than 50% of a full charge, traditional lead acid batteries lose capacity, performance, and cycle life.

LiFePO4 Lithium Battery Technology

Although the road to building a better golf cart battery was filled with challenges, today’s lithium iron phosphate chemistry (LiFePO4) delivers greater power density without the volatility and safety issues that plagued earlier types of lithium batteries. If you are looking to find out if lithium golf cart batteries are worth it, check out the advantages discussed below:

• Weight Reduction – Lithium golf cart batteries are very lightweight to produce higher speeds with less effort. Generally speaking, when lithium is used to produce the same amount of energy as lead-acid batteries, the lithium battery mass is up to 75% less than its counterpart.
• Improved Power – No doubt you can still get from place to place running on traditional lead acid batteries, but lithium batteries can deliver consistent performance even on low charge and with no voltage sag when climbing. Plus, less weight equates to a faster ride.
• Faster Recharging – Whether you use your electric golf cart for transport or work, there is less downtime for battery charges to get you back on the road in no time. When parked, lithium batteries discharge at 2% per month compared to 30% for lead acid batteries.
• Drop-In Replacement – Designed specifically for use in golf carts, street-legal low speed vehicles, and numerous electric utility carts, our 48v LiFePO4 golf cart battery is a drop-in replacement that does not require major modifications or complicated electrical connections.
• Built-In Protections – The ability to safely charge and power your low-speed electric vehicle is an important consideration. With lithium batteries multiple functions are built in, like over charge protection, over discharge protection, over heating protection, and short circuit protection.
• Maintenance Free – Lithium golf cart batteries are practically maintenance free while lead acid batteries are wet-flooded and require routine checks of for electrolyte levels. With lithium power there is no water filling or cleaning the terminals of power-robbing corrosive acid deposits.
• Reduced Carbon Footprint – Many people today are dedicated to protecting our planet. As for environmental concerns, lithium batteries spend less carbon and add less to the carbon footprint than any other available power source for motorized vehicles.

There are many benefits to installing lithium replacement batteries in your golf cart or electric utility vehicles. At Moto Electric Vehicles, our lithium ion batteries set the bar for a new performance standard as a greener source of transportation for today’s street legal golf carts, resort vehicles, and a broad range of low-speed electric vehicles used in a multitude of industries.

Extended Range, Less Weight, No More Crawling Uphill …

Almost anyone who operates an electric cart off of the golf course would like to extend the range of their vehicle. On a big day, playing a round of golf requires less than ten miles of total distance travelled. That’s why traditional lead acid batteries were only designed with half the power of lithium golf cart batteries. Now consider the limited discharging capacity and you can see why conventionally-powered electric carts have to spend more time connected to a charger and less of the day being used for work or play. Our lithium golf cart battery has more power and delivers huge improvements making it easier for the cart to navigate uneven terrain.

Significant weight reduction, increased efficiency, and an overall reduction in operating costs, make lithium batteries the best option for street legal golf carts, low speed electric vehicles, and utility vehicles used for transport, delivery, and hauling. Since they are completely sealed, you won't need to worry with a lot of daily maintenance. Compared to a lead acid battery. all you need to do is keep the battery clean and dry. MotoEV lithium cart batteries have memory care, can fully discharge without damage, and are completely rechargeable thousands of times over. Since lithium replacement batteries are solid batteries, they work however you need them to and can be mounted in any direction, even upside down.

Discover for yourself the advantages that lithium replacement batteries have to offer for your street legal golf cart, neighborhood electric vehicle, campus shuttles, electric utility vehicles, or golf-course purposed cart. Contact Brett Jackrel, Sales Manager of Moto Electric Vehicles, to discuss the details for upgrading your personal golf cart or fleet of electric-powered carts.