My church is going to purchase a golf cart. Put aside the details, think of this as an ADA requirement. As far as I'm concerned, the church must purchase and use this new vehicle. My only input is whether it's gas or electric. It's the classic "only driven on Sundays" vehicle. Best guess, it'll be driven less than 52 miles per year, At most, a mile a week. Consisting of up to 10 500' round trips per weekend. My only concern is the carbon footprint. My job is to suggest the vehicle with the lower carbon footprint. Put aside the practical issues of maintenance and such. I have those covered. For this low use rate, I'm way preferring electric. (I mean, at this rate, a gallon of gas will last half a year.) But put that aside. My best guess says that the energy cost of recycling the lead-acid batteries every (call it) four years exceeds the energy value of the gasoline used to drive the cart for four years. So clearly the cost of recycling, plus the electricity used to drive the vehicle, exceeds the energy value of the gasoline used. In other words, in this application, gas appears to win, from a carbon footprint standpoint. But all of the practical experience I can get from the web relates to heavily-used golf carts. Nobody will even speculate that the batteries might last beyond 5 years. Anybody here have any practical experience with lightly-used lead-acid batteries? I.e., is there any way these suckers will last (e.g.) a decade, with this low use rate? Let me rephrase that. Anybody out there have a functioning 10-year-old lead-acid battery? If so, how? Otherwise, at this low use rate, if the batteries are trashed after 4-5 years in any case, then, putting aside maintenance issues, I think we ought to get a gas cart. Please don't misread this. This is not an anti-electric screed (I own a PHEV), this is literally a choice I'm facing. I'd just like to hear whether or not anybody has heard of any way to keep a lead-acid battery alive (e.g.) for a decade. Thanks.
electric. the batteries are recycleable. my 1999 yamaha electric is still going strong, although, i don't make 10 500' trips in a day. but, i feel like it could. and the charging cost seems to be negligible.
Electric, hands down, not only that but you can charge it with PV. Small gas engines on golf carts have little emission control, much like lawn mowers. Icarus Electic motors are way more efficient than ICE engines as well, and when electric motors "idle" they are off.
I'm not sure I understand the maintenance issues. You are not going to be problem free with a small engine for 10 years with reactive maintenance. Good chance that your ICE cart becomes a planter before the electric version if low use is expected. Also, if it is an electric start ICE engine, then you still have a battery issue.
I think electric, though I have no experience with long-life batteries. Remember that gasoline goes stale, and a gas engine that is used for such short trips will probably get all gunked up and may not last all that long. Will a small gas engine even last ten years? I had a rototiller that was in poor shape after five years. Plus (though you didn't ask this) there is the noise and fumes. Not only the big-picture pollution, but the local stink. And the comfort of a smooth EV compared to a shaking gas engine. I think your first inclination is the best: Electric. (And if finances permit, you might consider LiFePO4 batteries, which perform better in the cold than lead, and supposedly last longer, though my personal experience is only 4 years with the LiFePO4 in my Xebra. No problems during that time.)
I have lots of use with lead-acid batteries. The house bank on our boat has been in use for over a decade, and it's still going strong. Other boats kill them in one season. It all comes down to proper charging. For your church situation, electric is the only sensible option, but make sure you use a smart charger. Tom
Glf car batteries are a routine replacement item, and therefore they re generically available. I invite you to read the following about care and feeding of batteries. Take good care of your batteries and they can last a long time. I have a set on an off grid solar installation that is still going strong after ten years. That said, with poor care, I have had customers who kill a set in a year or two, under similar conditions. Car and Deep Cycle Battery FAQ, Battery Manufacturers and Brand Names List, and Deep Cycle Battery FAQ Icarus
I was going to say "walk", but a rickshaw could work. Why are you so convinced the choice is either gas or electric? Human power is a far more sustainable solution, not to mention cheaper and healthier.
Sounds like you will have problem due to low usage no matter what. But, puting that aside my company used several Club Car electric carts with great results. We always bought refurbished carts from our local dealer. He basically takes a four year or five year old cart; puts in fresh batteries, brake pads, etc. I highly recommend them.
Lead acid will do best if they are recharged after they are down 20%-50%. You will be fine on cycle life. They don't like years of heat so that will be your problem, I doubt any oem batteries will last 10 years, 7 would be pushing it. You may be able to find a replacement battery that does. Check with the manufacturers.
You will probably need to replace the batteries every 5-7 years, at a cost of $750 or so. Factor that in.
Sounds like your use will be lighter than what most golf carts are designed for, so, with a smart charger, you should easily exceed the average battery lifespan in an electric. I go here for battery info: Lead-based Batteries Information How to Prolong and Restore Lead-acid Batteries - Battery University
Gas My G14 has been running for years in hot (100F+) heat, to subfreezing (-15F). It starts right up, takes very little gas and the battery was just replaced (only 1) - a couple of years ago. Oil gets changed on a yearly basis and I replaced the tires (dry rot from age) a couple of years ago. I don't have to worry about pluging in to recharge - theres' no need to. DBCassidy
Thank you all, particularly the advice on keeping the batteries alive. I'm pretty sure we've going electric, with all due consideration for making the batteries last.
Trivia: Before buying my Zap Xebra, 4 1/2 years ago, I wanted to find a shop that would make any needed repairs/maintenance. I phoned a couple of golf cart dealers, and noticed that they always referred to their product as "golf cars." (No "t.") (In the end I found a tire & car repair place that was happy to work on it. The "golf car" companies refused flat out.)
Somewhere in ENVIRONMENTAL thread, someone posted the name of a company that makes green yard equipment (weed trimmers etc) for Calfornia "smog free" market. I was trying to see if they had any good ideas for you. As far as church eco-mindedness, dead batteries, fluorescent fixtures, used oil, etc I take over to the county haz mat recycle center in Ffx. Don't know if they take stuff from churches. Anyways if you see a orig Prius 12v batt over there, its mine.
