Gas vs. Electric: Which Golf Cart is Right For You?

There are two main power options to choose from when it comes to personal or commercial golf carts: gasoline-powered or electric. Some of our customers come in firmly believing that gasoline-powered golf carts are more powerful or that electric carts are always more expensive to maintain. We’d like to clear up the most common misconceptions and hopefully help you feel more comfortable deciding which option is right for you.

Misconception: Gas-powered golf carts are cheaper to maintain. Some believe electric battery replacement costs make electric carts prohibitively expensive. While it’s true that they cost around $600 for a set of six batteries, they only need to be replaced about once every 3-5 years. You’ll spend roughly the same amount on basic maintenance and repairs on a gasoline-powered golf cart during that time. In the end, costs come out to about even.

Misconception: An electric golf cart just can’t go uphill or as far with the same power as a gas-powered cart. This used to be accurate, but designs for electric carts have come a long way in the past few years. Many electric-powered vehicles can give you just the same uphill power as gasoline can. Unfortunately, being able to keep up when it comes to speed doesn’t hold true when it comes to distance. With gasoline, you can just take along an extra gas cannister. You’re left fresh out of luck once an electric battery runs out of charge.

So how can I make the right choice? This lies in answering a couple of questions:

• • What is the terrain and climate like where you live?
  • What are you planning to use your vehicle for?

Unless you need to go long distances between refueling, an electric cart is likely your best option. They cause less in the way of air pollution and perform admirably for time spent out on the golf course or making your way around the neighborhood. When you really do need a heavy-duty cart to head out to the back forty to fix up the fence or you spend a lot of time in the outdoors, make sure your cart is gasoline-powered.

At Garrett’s Discount Golf Cars, we make it our business to walk you through every step of purchasing your new or pre-owned golf cart, start to finish. We’d be happy to meet with you at our Fountain Inn or Mt. Pleasant locations and speak with you about just what you’re looking to do with your golf cart and which options fits your needs, lifestyle, and budget. We also provide rentals for corporate events, family vacations, weddings, and more!

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