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Electric EZGO Electric EZ GO Marathon, Medalist, TXT and RXV.



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Old 02-12-2013, 09:44 PM   #1
reinman88
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Default Battery life when cold

I have a gas powered cart I've been using for hunting, but have been thinking of getting an electric cart this summer and setting it up for hunting.

I've read the cold weather will affect power and battery life. I'm wondering what I can expect when the temps get down to the 20s at night and are only in the 40s during the day.

I don't have a long ways to go to hunt. From my house to any of the stands is only about a mile away. So total drive both ways would be just over 2 miles, with one big hill to climb on the way home.
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Old 02-13-2013, 10:43 AM   #2
JohnnieB
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Default Re: Battery life when cold

Lead-Acid batteries are rated at about 80°F and you loose about 5% storage capacity and Amp delivering ability for each 20°F drop in temperature.
The standard cart battery is 225AH, so when it is 20°F outside, you effectively have 190AH batteries installed, so you won't have as much run-time or pulling power as you do in the summer.

It is akin to starting your car in the winter. The battery won't turn the starter as fast and not for as long, but it ought to start the engine.

Since your round trip is only two miles, you should be fine.
Might be a bit slower climbing the steep hill, but it'll make it.

Also, keeping the cart in a heated enclosure will help. It takes quite a while to cool down 400 pounds of batteries to the outside temperature.
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Old 02-13-2013, 12:27 PM   #3
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Default Re: Battery life when cold

Thanks for the reply.

I assume going 48 volt instead of 36 volt would help too. If so then I'll look for 48 more so then 36 when looking to buy.

Also speed isn't that big of a thing for me, power for the big hill climb is more important. If I've read right you can put in a chip for more power, which I assume means more torque for the big hill. If I'm right on that point, what year cart would I be loooking for to have that option. I suppose if I go too old on the cart the chip is not an option. I guess to save some money I wouldn't mind going for an older cart as long as I can do some upgrade to get more power for the hill.
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Old 02-13-2013, 01:00 PM   #4
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Default Re: Battery life when cold

The "Speed Chip" only applies to PDS carts, and it doesn't change the amount of torque. Only changes max speed and amount of regen braking.

If speed isn't a major factor, go with a cart with a Series wound motor. They have more low end torque and are better suited for a climbing steep hills.
(PDS and DCS carts have Shunt wound motors)

In general terms, Amps equate to Torque and Volts equate to Speed in a series wound motor, however going to 48V will get you both because you will have to replace the controller to up the voltage and aftermarket controller are higher Amps than stock.

ScottyB at Carts Unlimited has a pretty good writeup about about what to consider when upgrading a cart, so reading through this page may be helpful in deciding what type cart to buy. http://www.cartsunlimited.net/Custom_Options.html
Good info scattered all the way down the page.

I'm going for range rather than speed or torque and went with 42V under the seat.

As for what year, EZGO didn't reinvent the wheel every year like the auto makers did, so it doesn't matter all that much. Marathons and Medalists had metal bodies and a TXT has a plastic body. Other than that, look out for rusty frames and eaten out battery boxes. Hunting carts have been made from all of them.
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Old 02-13-2013, 01:26 PM   #5
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Default Re: Battery life when cold

Thanks, sounds like go with a Series cart and year won't matter that much. Which should give me more options when it comes time to buy.

I don't want to get into a lot of upgrading, that's not my deal. I'm more of a, I bought it to use it so as long as it does what I want, then I'm fine. If different cables help fine, but I'm not into switching motors or controllers to try and get more out of what I have.

I'll make the modifications that turn a standard golf cart into a hunting cart, but after that I'd rather go hunting then making upgrades on the cart.
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Old 02-13-2013, 08:03 PM   #6
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Default Re: Battery life when cold

I live just North of Atlanta, so I don't get much sub-zero weather. However, when I do, my buggy runs non-stop. A few years back, when we hit 20° or so, I drove my nine year batteries nearly non-stop, up some fairly steep hills. That's when I managed to flip my buggy when the ice started melting and I was flying downhill and locked 'em up while spinning the steering wheel.

YMMV
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Old 02-13-2013, 09:54 PM   #7
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Default Re: Battery life when cold

Sounds like I should be in good shape. I'd read a bit on how cold affected electric carts and was concerned it might be a problem during hunting season. For the most part our deer season on average would be 40s or 50 during the day and maybe 20s at night. Even my gas cart can be finicky on real cold mornings, but then they weren't really designed for winter work.

My hunting is all done down on the river bottom, so it's fairly flat there.But I live up on the bluff over the river so it's just one real big steep hill I have to worry about. I just wanted to make sure once I went down that hill I'd be able to make it up.

I use a 99 gas workhorse now,and though it makes it up the hill all the time, there are times it seems you could walk faster. But it makes it, and that's all that counts. Guess I'm getting to the age where getting there is more important then getting there fast.
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Old 02-25-2013, 03:22 PM   #8
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Default Re: Battery life when cold

Thought I'd dig my thread back up and ask another question.

I've been using my EZ GO gas for hunting, but was wondering about one thing if going electric.

I'll spend some time in the mud and maybe even some snow. Will I have to worry about mud and moisture getting kicked up under the cart? My concern of course is the electric motor and snow or mud getting thrown up over the motor and the electrical connections. Dry snow is probably not a problem. But that wet slushy stuff that sticks in the tires and gets thrown all over the place will surely get under the cart.
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