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Choosing The Best Batteries For Your Electric Golf Cart

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If you own an electric golf cart, eventually, you will need to replace the golf cart batteries, and getting batteries that will perform well and offer a long service life is essential. The correct batteries for your golf cart are listed in your owner's manual, but if you want additional power in the batteries, there may be some optional models you can use as well.

Battery Design And Options

The most common golf cart batteries available are lead-acid batteries that have lead plates inside the batteries flooded with an electrolyte solution of water and sulfuric acid. There are several styles of batteries that you may find in your cart, some requiring maintenance and some that are sold as maintenance-free. 

Golf cart batteries also come in several voltage ratings, so you need to determine if your cart is six, eight, or twelve volts to ensure you get suitable batteries. You also need to determine the amperage recommended for your golf cart.

The amperage rating of the battery will help indicate how long that battery will last when fully charged, but determining the power draw and the amps being used can be complicated, so most manufacturers include the recommended amperage rating in the owner's manual for you.

Battery Size

Golf cart batteries are not all the same size, and most carts use four to six batteries to power them. Because of the limited space for the batteries, you need to make sure that any replacement batteries you purchase will fit in the battery compartment. 

If you are considering upgrading to a longer-lasting battery, make sure the dimensions are the same on the new batteries as the old batteries you are removing. Any battery supplier that carries golf cart batteries can help you select the right batteries for your cart and help you determine the voltage and amperage requirements. 

Battery Life And Maintenance

The average lifespan for a set of golf cart batteries is about five years if you get high-quality batteries and take care of them. Maintenance-free batteries do not need water added to them, but it is a good idea to check the connectors for any corrosion from time to time. You can use a baking soda and water solution with a small wire brush to neutralize and clean the battery connections if you encounter any.

If you use batteries that require maintenance, you will need to check the acid level and add water to the batteries to keep them performing at their peak level. Typically, distilled water is recommended, and you only need to fill them so that the liquid covers the lead plates inside the case. 

Use a high-quality battery charger with a rating that matches your batteries to keep your golf cart batteries charged to get the most out of each charge for your cart.


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