Time for batteries... now what?

[jpbellis]

Originally Posted by Mooncarter

I say it all depends on how you use the cart. I can't comment on lithium, still out of my price range.

But, the 4x12 setup is plenty for a lot of people. To go 6x8 you have to reconfigure the battery tray. Is it worth it? All depends on how you use the cart.

I have a lifted limo cart with a 1700 dollar Navitas AC system in it. My range the other day after a full charge was about 7 miles before a noticeable drop in speed. My batteries are getting a little long in the tooth and I want everything I can get out of it within some cost guidelines.

Modifying the box is of no concern to me

[Fairtax4me]

The 4x12 setup will probably not get you much more than 8-10 miles anyway with the AC motor kit. The capacity just isn't there, even with brand new batteries.
Going to a 6x8v pack will get you significantly more range, just will require modification to the battery bucket. If lithium is out of the question then the 6x8v pack is your best bet.
Be sure to pay attention to the AH rating on the battery. Good quality batteries with a high AH rating will last longer, but will be more costly.
A typical 8v battery will have roughly 160AH capacity. For the AC system I would not go any lower than that. Some cheaper batteries are tempting, but they can be as low as 140AH, which is not much better than your 12v pack was.
Going with a 170AH or higher pack will benefit you in longer service life as well as longer range with the cart.

[jpbellis]

Originally Posted by Fairtax4me

The 4x12 setup will probably not get you much more than 8-10 miles anyway with the AC motor kit. The capacity just isn't there, even with brand new batteries.
Going to a 6x8v pack will get you significantly more range, just will require modification to the battery bucket. If lithium is out of the question then the 6x8v pack is your best bet.
Be sure to pay attention to the AH rating on the battery. Good quality batteries with a high AH rating will last longer, but will be more costly.
A typical 8v battery will have roughly 160AH capacity. For the AC system I would not go any lower than that. Some cheaper batteries are tempting, but they can be as low as 140AH, which is not much better than your 12v pack was.
Going with a 170AH or higher pack will benefit you in longer service life as well as longer range with the cart.

Your answer was just about exactly what Navitas tech support told me. The only exception was they said 120 amps is fine, but if i'm doing it "fine" sorta feels to shy

[UpstateNYDS]

Will the factory CC charger work if you convert from 4-12v to 6-8v?

[CP241]

Originally Posted by UpstateNYDS

Will the factory CC charger work if you convert from 4-12v to 6-8v?

Yes. The chargers are all the same and interchangeable (power wise 1, 2, and 3. Not the ERIC charger though. Completely different animal).

However, the OBC I believe may be different between 4x12v and 6x8v

[Fairtax4me]

Originally Posted by jpbellis

Your answer was just about exactly what Navitas tech support told me. The only exception was they said 120 amps is fine, but if i'm doing it "fine" sorta feels to shy

It’s probably fine if you only want to go 8-10 miles.
The other side of capacity is power delivery. Which is basically pack voltage at a certain Amp output.
A higher AH pack will delivery more amps for a given time period than a low AH pack. So the lower Ah Pack will have a lower total voltage at the same amp output. This can result in lower overall speeds, but mostly it means you lose torque. With a low AH pack the voltage drops more when under load compared to a higher AH pack.
Higher voltage under load, means less amp draw under load, which means less heat buildup in the motor and controller.
More AH = more amp delivery = more voltage at X amp draw
lower AH = less amp delivery = lower voltage at X draw