Re: Chevy Volt Lithium
 

Thank you, Volt_Ampere. Somehow I will get all this, and I really thank you all for your input!

Re: Chevy Volt Lithium
 

I got motivated to get my cart running again via Lithium, so sadder but wiser on Lithium Ion (for me anyway) I opted for the RoyPow 110 Amp-Hour plug'n'play system. LiP04 to the rescue, and all-told the cost was the same as piecing together the Volt batteries, "BMS" and charger.

It's beautifully constructed and a beast of a battery box, but it fits in the battery compartment without issue and fired the cart right up after a six-hour charge. I've had just a two-bar drop on the included meter after a mile of driving on steep terrain and two weeks of sitting, and I'm stoked to install lights and a USB port next. I'll post separately on it too.

My recommendation is: Unless you're electrically savvy and you're anxious to work with a lithium application that is sketchy for a golf cart, then ignore the hype and negativity of a certain eBay seller and opt for a simpler solution to power your cart.

Re: Chevy Volt Lithium
 

I may be speaking out of place but I have 3 chevy volt batteries and about to add a fourth. I have been running them for a little over a year. I used to check to see if they were out of balance once a week now I check it maybe once a month they are all still ballanced like the day I got them. I do not run a BMS (I know I should) I have my alltrax controller set for the lv cutoff @ 35v which I have never gotten to...(kids have drove over 45 miles in a day and still didnt get there) and the charger I believe it is a yzpower which stops the charge at 49.5V.

Re: Chevy Volt Lithium
 

I see a lot of conflicting comments for pro BMS or not. In the end, I opted to buy them. I guess my thinking is that with the amount of money I have invested, and being that I hope to never do this again, it was cheap (?) insurance.

I like hearing there are other Volt setups out there; please post up some pics!

Re: Chevy Volt Lithium
 

if you dont use a BMS at least use an individual cell low voltage alarm.
At about $2 each that will do up to 8 cells this is a no brainer.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/5Pcs-Lipo-A...EAAOSwHUdfhbvP

Re: Chevy Volt Lithium
 

heres the start of my latest project
test fitting the packs. Looks like theres room for 3 of them
next is building the battery boxes,then mounting all the components on the new firewall.
As I get going on it I ll start my own build thread.

Re: Chevy Volt Lithium
 

I'm thinking of going the RoyPow route also. For the reasons you stated. I'm a carpenter. I can build a house from the ground up, except for the electric. I came here because I was looking at the Volt batteries.

Re: Chevy Volt Lithium
 

Why are you using Chevy Volt batteries? Its a 48 volt golf cart right? Isn't it going to slow you down?

Chevy volt modules are 12s.. so 12s x 4.2 = 50.4 volts max.. and as soon as you drive 50 feet, that 4.2 is going to drop to around 4.1 volts... and another 200 feet later, it will be at 4 volts.. By the time you've driven a couple of foot ball fields worth, you'll be at 3.85 to 3.9 volts.. or 46.8 volts for the pack.

At 3.85, down to around 3.65, they will show off their true capacity.. but 3.65 x12 cells doesn't work for a 48 volt golf cart.

Re: Chevy Volt Lithium
 

Volt modules would be more popular if there was an easy way to separate the cells to make 13 or 14S packs. The Leaf modules have two cells so you are stuck with either 12S or 14S configuration. For a 48V cart, 13S would probably be my choice. I went with 14S but the stock Moric controller could not handle that for very long.

Re: Chevy Volt Lithium
 

You would still be better off at 14s and setting your charger to 4.0x volts instead of 4.2.

There isn't much energy above 4.1v anyhow, and by charging to only 4.0x volts, you triple the cycle life of the cells.

EV Cars do not allow a full charge to 4.2 volts.. when the car's charge meter reads 100%, that usually means 4.1v per cell.