We Asked a Golf Cart Mechanic What Kind of Golf Cart is Better, Gas or Electric?

When trying to figure out which golf cart is the best for you, the first choice many people have to make is whether they want an electric golf cart or a gas powered golf cart.

So which is the ideal golf cart, gas or electric?

In order to inform our decision, we sat down with a veteran Golf Cart mechanic and asked him what kind of cart he chooses to drive and why.

Our trusty mechanic, Brock, has always been a fan of owning a gas cart. But why?

The main reason Brock prefers a gas cart is because he wants to cruise at a sustained speed of 30 mph without feeling like he is putting undue stress on his cart.

Now can’t you achieve this sustained speed with an electric cart? The short answer is yes but there are some things that you should know.

A gas cart can cruise at high speeds (30 MPH) and the worst that can happen is that you blow belt, which is a cheap and easy fix. A gas cart can really handle these sustained high speeds with almost no issue.

An electric cart on the other hand finds a cruising speed of 30 mph to be very stressful and produces a lot of heat. This stress can cause many electrical components to wear down and bring on a variety issues (think faulty solenoids, switches, cables, connections) on your golf cart that will be more difficult to diagnose and fix.

On an electric cart, the range will also come into question when operating at sustained high speeds of 30 MPH. Even if you have a 180 amp hour lithium pack in your cart, that 70 mile range that you seek can easily be cut down by 30-50% by maxing out the golf cart at 30 MPH everywhere you go.

When it comes to the gas cart, the range issue is just not an issue. You are getting 100 miles out of one tank easily, whether you are driving at 30 MPH or not.

The tried-and-trued gas motor

So then why doesn’t everyone just buy a gas cart?

In short because they are loud and they stink, some people don’t like this.

There is a peaceful element to driving an electric cart and connecting with your environment. The conversations you have with your family while riding an electric cart are more effortless, communication feels more natural.

The air you breathe while riding a gas cart is consistently polluted as well. For example, when riding an electric cart near the beach, you will take in the breeze of the salty ocean air unencumbered by smoke or the smell of gasoline.

Another huge reason people do not want to buy a gas cart is because they are not allowed in some communities, campgrounds and RV parks. Golf cart owners tend to enjoy the outdoors and want to take their golf carts with them on vacation or rent one when they get there. Certain RV parks do not allow gas carts because they disturb the peace. Requiring golf carts to be electric at these recreational sites is trending up and in the favor of electric golf carts. It would be a bummer to have a golf cart that you cannot take with you to enjoy on vacation.

Over the years the end result has been that more and more people are choosing to go with electric golf carts therefore there are more electric golf carts made by the manufacturers. Newer brands such as Icon, Evolution, Bintelli, Trojan EV, Titan EV, etc. produce exclusively electric vehicles. Because supply of gas carts has decreased, their price has increased. You can expect to pay more for a gas cart and have less options to choose from during the buying process.

After knowing all this then why does Brock stick to his gas cart?

Because he is a gear head! He doesn’t mind a bit of noise and the smell of gasoline! He just wants to go faster for longer, like Ricky Bobby.

A modern lithium ion battery setup

Before we let you go make the choice of a lifetime, gas or electric? Let’s break it down simply.

The gas cart owner values speed, range, and durability. They need their cart to go long distances without needing to worry about a charge or putting too much stress on their golf cart and they want to go fast (30 MPH) everywhere they go.

The electric cart owner values a peaceful ride (they don’t want their neighbors to hear them rumbling down the road), a pollution-free natural environment and the ability to use it at campgrounds and RV parks without hesitation. They value range but don’t feel the need to drive more than 30 miles in a day so re-charging is not a big deal to them.

For the visual learners, here is a chart below that weighs the two options.

So which will you choose, electric or gas?

Is there a reason why you do or don’t like gas or electric cart that we missed? Let us know!