Gas vs. Electric Lifted cart for beach and around neighborhood?

[mstang1988]

Gas vs. Electric Lifted cart for beach and around neighborhood? I'm considering either a late model precident (Kawasaki or Suburu) or an electric 48v. Thoughts?

[FloridaCart]

MStang its the million dollar question..... Of course you are on a gas cart forum.
I've been dealing with carts since the mid 90s and have always had gas carts and a lot of them. I've had Robin's , Kawasaki's , and EFI Subaru's ,but no Kohler's yet.... Of course you ask an electric guy and most of the time they are pro electric. There are some very nice electric carts out now and some are very powerful and fast but sooner or later it's going to need to be parked and charged and new batteries. Good luck.... Hopefully some other's will chime in.

[mstang1988]

Originally Posted by FloridaCart

MStang its the million dollar question..... Of course you are on a gas cart forum.
I've been dealing with carts since the mid 90s and have always had gas carts and a lot of them. I've had Robin's , Kawasaki's , and EFI Subaru's ,but no Kohler's yet.... Of course you ask an electric guy and most of the time they are pro electric. There are some very nice electric carts out now and some are very powerful and fast but sooner or later it's going to need to be parked and charged and new batteries. Good luck.... Hopefully some other's will chime in.

Yeah, I was hoping there was a unbiased place to post but the way the forum is divided I can get one or the other so I posted both places. Maybe I'll add a third, the lifted car forum. My worries about Sparky is will it push through soft sand. The worries about gassers is maintenance. I've owned electrics before (several 36v carts).

[FloridaCart]

Originally Posted by mstang1988

Yeah, I was hoping there was a unbiased place to post but the way the forum is divided I can get one or the other so I posted both places. Maybe I'll add a third, the lifted car forum. My worries about Sparky is will it push through soft sand. The worries about gassers is maintenance. I've owned electrics before (several 36v carts).

There should be no maintenance other than oil and filter , spark plug , air and fuel filter probably 20-25 bucks a year tops. Of course if your driving through mud and sand regularly your clutches are going to wear out prematurely.
The problem I see often is a lot of guys try to use there carts like its a SXS and they're not designed for that type of use.

[Mooncarter]

I have both. Without knowing what you mean by beach and neighborhood hard to answer this.

If you have a large property like I do you will want a gas cart to go through the trails, mend fences etc. If beach means an RV park, or campground electric suits me best. Quiet, smooth etc. It takes a lot of run time to run down a set of good batteries.

Some people don't want to be troubled with or understand hitting a choke to start something in the morning. All in what your usage will be. Hope this helps.

[BuggieMaverick]

Electrics are very nice for being quiet and smooth. I get jealous of the silence. Electrics also have lower resale value, which is good if you’re buying used. The biggest negative to electric is the battery costs. The electric cart owners can give more accurate costs, but budget $400 to $600 every 4 to 6 years for new batteries. You can’t just replace a single battery either, so when they go, you need to buy all of them. Batteries also need charging, which isn’t so bad with light use but all day use on roads may leave you stranded, especially if you forgot to charge it from the last time(s) it was used or your batteries are reaching the end of the life cycle. Batteries also need proper water levels so they aren’t maintenance free.

Gas on the other hand is my preference. There is some noise but I feel the trade off is worth it. They get great gas mileage, they hold a lot of gas, and filling up is quick and easy. There isn’t the reoccurring costs of batteries or needing to recharge it. Countless engine and drivetrain modifications are also possible with gas, or you can leave it stock for extreme reliability. Downside to gas is the initial cost, the upkeep and winterizing that comes with a gas small engine, and the additional noise.

Both are very reliable but can have repair expenses. Examples are electrical speed control components on electrics or clutches on gas’ers.

I’d suggest test driving each and decide for yourself. In my experience, first time cart owners lean towards liking electric. They then learn battery power isn’t maintenance free and just how much battery replacement costs. Some still love electric but some decide to trade in for gas.

Keep in mind carts aren’t meant for use on loose sand like on beaches. Sand use will cause premature wear on many components.

[Fairtax4me]

A stock electric cart on sand will still get around just fine, maybe not the fastest thing but remember that electric motors create all of their torque at low RPM and they can make much more torque than a gas engine of comparable power. Tires will be the determining factor for how far you make it across the dune. But if you plan to run all day you'll want to upgrade the power delivery system (cables, controller, solenoid) so you don't run into problems with overheating components.
A heavily modded electric cart on sand can throw rooster tails everywhere you go, but you'll run out of battery alot quicker.

How much do you plan to use it on sand? Gas carts will get sand in the clutches and belt and that will cause accelerated wear on the clutches. With weekly use on a beach I would probably expect to replace both clutches every 3-5 years just because of wear from sand getting in them. Depending on the cart, that's pretty much the same as replacing a set of batteries every 5 years. If it's only occasional used on sand and you remember to blow any debris and sand out of the clutches with compressed air afterwards, the clutches would probably last closer to the average life span of 12-15 years.

[CP241]

I've had both, and I think either would probably suit your needs just fine.

The biggest determining factor would probably be storage. Where do you plan to park the cart? If in the garage every night where you can plug it in and charge it (the batteries will last the longest if plugged in after EVERY use no matter how much) then electric would work great for you. If you plan to park it outside or dont want to mess with the hassle of plugging it in every night, then gas may be the better option for you.

Ultimately for just cruising around either will work equally as well for most people.