How Far Will A 48-Volt Golf Cart Go? (Solved)
John Miller
Electric golf carts are becoming increasingly popular, and more and more golfers are switching from gas to electric power to help them move around the golf course.
Besides obvious environmental issues, there are several more perfectly sensible reasons behind this overwhelming trend.
Compared to gas-powered counterparts, electric golf carts run much cooler, are virtually silent (which is of utmost importance on the golf course), produce almost no vibration, and have no exhaust smell.
However, these advantages come with a few downsides. Probably the biggest drawback of electric carts is the limited range.
As getting stranded without means of transportation before you complete all holes is extremely inconvenient and annoying, learning about the range of your golf cart is important and can save your day on the golf course.
As 48-volt is the most popular setup, I’ll look into how far will a 48 volt golf cart go.
Table of Contents
How Far Will A 48 Volt Golf Cart Go?
The 48-volt options are the most common among electric golf carts.
They’re cheaper and easier to maintain than the more powerful 72-volt golf carts, but still offer performance and speed that’s way above the more affordable 32-volt options.
How far and for how long a 48-volt golf cart will go mainly depend on the battery setup in the certain cart.
The battery system in the 48-volt golf cart can be organized in three different ways.
A typical golf cart of this type will use eight 6V batteries, six 8V batteries, or three 12V batteries.
While the setup featuring fewer batteries with higher voltage is the cheapest when it comes to upfront cost, smaller batteries with less voltage typically last longer and provide better run time and distance on a single charge.
Below, I’ll examine the approximate distances and run times each of these battery setups can deliver.
8 x 6 Battery Setup
Although it may be counterintuitive, as most people believe that higher voltage batteries will provide more capacity, the 8-pack of 6V batteries will deliver the best run time and distance of all three setups.
The 8×6 setup will keep your golf cart running for about 160-165 minutes at 56 amps.
This means that it should be able to cover the approximate distance of around 30 miles on a single charge.
At this rate, this setup will easily provide enough capacity for almost full four rounds of golf.
6 x 8 Battery Setup
This battery setup, featuring six 8V batteries is the medium option, with more capacity than a 4×12 system and less upfront cost than an 8×6 setup.
On a single charge, when fully charged, the 6×8 battery system will provide a run time of around 130 minutes at 56 amps.
This should be enough for the golf cart to cover a distance of around 25 miles.
This capacity will likely allow you to play three rounds on the golf course without the need for a recharge.
4 x 12 Battery Setup
The setup with four 12V batteries is the cheapest of the three, but it also provides the shortest runtime and distance.
A golf cart with four 12-volt batteries will keep running for around 110 minutes at 56 amps on a single charge.
This means that a fully charged 48-volt electric golf cart with a 4×12 battery system will have the capacity for a ride of around 20-22 miles, which should get you covered for almost three full rounds of golf.
What Impacts How Far a Golf Cart Can Go?
How long the cart battery will last and how far you will be able to travel on a single charge depends on several factors.
I’ll look at some of the main ones that contribute the most to the run time of golf cart batteries.
Battery Voltage
As I already explained, there are three battery sizes commonly used in golf carts, each with a different voltage: 6, 8, and 12 volts.
We already saw that the setup with the smallest-size batteries will have the most capacity and provide the longest run time.
Battery voltage also has an impact on the overall life span of the battery. The important factor to consider here is the depth of charge or DOD.
It is the capacity taken out of the battery before recharging expressed as a percentage of the total capacity.
So, the lower the DOD, the longer the battery will last.
During a day at the golf course, batteries with lower voltage will discharge to a lesser extent than those with high voltage.
Therefore, the 8×6 battery setup will not only get you further but also gives more durability for the batteries, making them a better investment in the long run.
Battery Manufacturer
Just like with any other product, the brand of the battery matters, as not all are equal and at the same level of quality.
So, you should always stick to established and trusted manufacturers.
Often the batteries made by lesser-known companies will be significantly cheaper, but that doesn’t mean that they’re better investments.
Batteries from reputable brands such as Trojan, UPG, or Ampere time will make your golf cart go further and run longer on a single charge and provide better overall durability with fewer potential issues.
Type of Battery
Nowadays, electric golf carts usually feature one of two types of batteries; lead-acid batteries and Lithium-ion batteries.
Each of these types has different properties, including capacity and run time.
Lead-acid batteries are still the most common type used in golf carts. The information laid out above is for this type of battery.
They’re cheaper than the Li-ion batteries, but require more maintenance, are heavier and provide shorter run times.
A lot of newer models of golf carts, like several latest E-Z-GO carts, feature Lithium-ion batteries which represent the latest technological advancements in the field.
Even though they’re more expensive to produce, Li-ion batteries are likely the future of electric golf carts.
They provide longer run time and can easily reach 100 miles on a single charge,
Plus, they’re more environment-friendly, hold a charge better, have a longer life span, and significantly reduce the overall cart weight.
Additional Accessories
Modern golf carts often have multiple extra features. These may include GPS navigation, high-quality stereos with Bluetooth connectivity, and similar electric accessories.
While all of these additional features are quite handy and can be very useful, they also eat up the battery, reducing its run time on a single charge.
Driving Style and Habits
How far you will get with a 48V golf cart will also depend on the way you drive.
Driving fast will put more strain on the battery and drain it in a much shorter period, giving you less mileage on a single charger.
Also, if possible avoid rough terrain as driving up steep hills also can contribute to shortening the run time.
Conclusion
Electric carts are becoming increasingly popular on golf courses, especially the 48-volt version.
Even though they can’t go as fast or have as much power as gas-powered carts, electric golf carts will provide you with a smooth and comfortable ride, helping you enjoy the game of golf even more.
Golf carts with 48 volts of power will also be more than enough to get you through a couple of rounds on almost any golf course.
The exact mileage and run time will depend on a couple of factors, but, in general, you should be able to cover 20-30 miles and drive for 2-3 hours on a single charge.
