Choosing The Right Battery For Your Golf Cart

On a full charge, there’s nothing better than taking an E-Z-GO, Club Car or Yamaha out for a spin. When the power starts to drop and the charge is dying faster than before, it can get in the way of your fun. To make sure you're getting every mile out of a charge, you want the right batteries in your cart.

There are many different systems and batteries out there. Picking the wrong kind can be a real dilemma. With a little expert help, you’ll be sure to find the right batteries for your Club Car, Yamaha, and E-Z-GO.

What types of batteries do electric golf carts use?

Golf carts use a type of battery called a deep discharge battery. Unlike a car’s battery, golf cart batteries are designed to power the entire vehicle, whereas a car’s battery is solely used to start the vehicle and power electronics.

This means that swapping a golf cart battery for a car battery of the same voltage is risky. It might run — but not very well. It’s more likely to adversely affect other batteries in the chain and is not recommended.

Luckily, finding the right golf cart battery is easy when you know what you’re looking for.

Types of golf cart batteries

Lead-Acid batteries
These are the most cost-effective batteries around, and are well-suited for regular recreational use. Considered a “wet” battery, they contain a mixture of electrolytes and water that act as a conductor. The main drawback, other than how long these batteries last (2 years on the short end) is that you have to “water” them by regularly adding about ¼ inch of water above lead plates.

Lithium-Ion batteries
In recent years, these batteries are starting to pop up in carts across the country. They have amazing longevity (10-20 years) and outstanding energy density, which is great for start-stop driving situations like at the club or running errands. Li-ion batteries for golf carts are going to be more expensive, but lead in almost every category that counts.