New lithium Cart's by EZGO and others

[naplesgolfer]

Why isn"t there more discussion about EZGO's new lithium carts and Club car's announcement of lithium carts in 2018? I would think that these are the holy grail for everyone. No maintenance and more range with less weight. I would think in a few years Lead acid will fade away or at least lose it's prominence. Ian just surprised more people aren't jumping at buying them and talking about it. Ezgo is putting the lithium batteries in the TXT as well in the second half of 2017.

[yurtle]

I'd bet more than half of the folks here buy used buggies. The dealers here and cart pros at golf courses will probably be the early adopters, once their leases run out. I usually hate to buy serial number 000001.

[DaveTM]

Yeah.....you saw what happen with the Bad Boy Buggie buyers. The longevity and service of those carts went South. Deep South. Probably would not have gotten the bad rap that they did if they would have stuck with some "mainstream" cart technology, and with wiring diagrams that were web posted. But attempting to remain top secret and punching out a product with no aftermarket available upgrades really doesn't get you far. Hey, look at the firearm industry. Even before the big boys release a new model they bring in the big aftermarket boys and show 'em what they are releasing so they can build aftermarket "stuff" for 'em. They want to build and sell firearms.....let the other guys sell the attachments and gizmos.

[Rickochet]

I have an '07 and did the Nissan Leaf pack conversion. I needed new batts anywho and did it for just a bit more than top of the line FLA batts. The cart is so much more peppy now with 400lbs. gone. Something important to me and not mentioned much is the negligible self discharge. In the summer I park the cart for weeks at a time in a parking lot where there is no power to charge the pack. In the winter I have to to haul the cart home and hog space in my garage to keep the pack charged. Now I can unplug the pack in the fall and let it sit at the lake at storage voltage for 6 months and not have to haul it home.

[FF Titus]

Half us dealers have 0 info on them. Ezgo has sucked lately when it comes to helping it's dealers. I received a folder in the mail with a handout to learn about this model. That's about it, oh and maybe 5 phone calls asking why I haven't bought one yet from textron, that's about it.

[Alex Faught]

Originally Posted by FF Titus

Half us dealers have 0 info on them. Ezgo has sucked lately when it comes to helping it's dealers. I received a folder in the mail with a handout to learn about this model. That's about it, oh and maybe 5 phone calls asking why I haven't bought one yet from textron, that's about it.

Not to hijack this thread, but what movie is you avatar off of? Do I see John Candy?

[FluxCapacitor]

When I started shopping for my new cart last year I was surprised there wasn't any factory lithium options. I would have been willing to pay up for lithium. I think I would have been willing to pay up to $1500.

The reduced corrosion issues with lithium is also worth mentioning.

[Furyous]

Originally Posted by Alex Faught

Not to hijack this thread, but what movie is you avatar off of? Do I see John Candy?

Whaaaaaa? If you haven't seen "Trains, Planes, and Automobiles" with Steve Martin and John Candy, buy it as soon as possible and watch it tonight. You won't regret it.

On the lithium front, I ordered my Nissan Leaf cells two days ago and can't wait. I have been researching them for a while after using them for R/C applications and having my 8-6V setup die after 5 years. Here's a small list of the factual advantages:

• • Lighter (so faster acceleration)
  • 3-5 times the number of charge cycles
  • Better discharge curve (provides a good amount of the max voltage until almost dead, lead acids drop downward linearly)
  • Faster charging (as fast as 2.5 hours to full charge with a high amperage charger)
  • No flammable gases emitted
  • No periodic maintenance other than to keep them clean
  • No corrosive fluids or gases emitted
  • MUCH smaller- my Leaf pack will be about the same size as two of my lead acid batteries. I will now have so much more room under my seat for other gadgets
  • Lead acid performance fades consistently over time, while lithium slowly d
  egrades followed by a big drop at the end. Very similar to discharge rate.

And here are some other advantages that are my opinion but open for discussion:

Less expensive- withou

• t a doubt less expensive over time ($1090 for a battery replacement that should last to 3,000 cycles or more vs. 800 max). However, I can even see it as being more inexpensive initially- I spent about $1500 for a setup that I probably could have built myself for less than $1000, less than the lead acids I was using if I bought the Leaf cells individually, assembled them, and built my own BMS (Battery Management System). I also could have gone with a pack that had similar performance characteristics in terms of range and speed for less but I upgraded. Also, prices keep dropping considerably on the technology since they are being made by car manufacturers for mass production.
• Safer- with an appropriate aforementioned BMS, it prevents overcharging or undercharging the battery and balances (makes sure each cell is at equal state of charge) the cells. Lithium has an insane amount of stored energy and can explode violently, but so can lead acids. My buddy had three of his LA batteries blow up in the last six months.

Why wouldn't you do it? Obviously the cart manufacturers are just getting around to it but us DIYers have been at it a while. None of the forum members I have been talking to regret the conversion other than to wish they would have gone bigger.

[cgtech]

I don't think you can have ezgos lithium for $1500.

[FluxCapacitor]

Originally Posted by cgtech

I don't think you can have ezgos lithium for $1500.

Maybe someday in the future! I'm hoping when my FLA's crap out in 4? Yrs.