Tell Me More: Gas Golf Carts
Due to increasing environmental concerns and improved technology, electric golf carts now dominate the market, while gas golf carts are becoming harder and harder to find. However, even though gas golf carts are no longer as popular as electric models, they are still the top choice for some applications.
One of the main advantages of gas golf carts is that you can always carry an extra can or two of gas with you, giving you much greater range. For farming and hunting use, this is a big advantage. For this reason, the "trail utility vehicle" category of gas golf cart is one that sports a high percentage of gasoline engines.
Gas golf carts are also a good choice for sustained use: spending a weekend away from electric power, or driving quite a bit at night with the lights on. Gasoline engines also provide more power for towing or carrying heavy loads. Typically speaking, a gas golf cart will average between 10 to 11 horsepower where a golf cart will generally max out at around 4 horses. That is a big difference in power.
Additionally, gas carts have a much sturdier drive train so they tend to be more rugged making more versatile.
Be sure to check on regulations in your area: some communities have gone so far as to ban gas golf carts due to the noise and pollution. Newer 4-cycle engines run cleaner and quieter than older 2-cycle engines that burn oil and gas mixture, but they're still dirty and loud compared to zero-emission electric motors.
With the low ground clearance most gas golf carts have, there is little to no room for an emissions or noise reduction kit, however there is a small solution: some manufacturer’s offer a foam treatment for the engine department that greatly reduces noise. While this might or might not be an option for your model, this process should never be tried as a do-it-yourself project due to the possibility of the cart overheating.
Routine maintenance on an electric cart is much more intense as well. While an electric cart has some of the same concerns (tires, body, etc) the gas motor takes a bit more in the way of scheduled maintenance. Electric motors or more of less considered swappable and are cheaper to replace than gas motors.
To summarize, the main advantages of a gas engine powered golf cart include:
- Greater range than electric- can carry gas along to refuel in remote locations
- More power- nearly double the horsepower of electric
- Heartier drive train- excellent for hauling more than clubs, making it a multi-purpose vehicle
To summarize, the disadvantages of a gasoline powered golf cart include:
- Noise and emissions greatly increased
- Hard to find viable used models
- Oil and gas have to be mixed properly before fueling some models
- More routine maintenance
You won't find much of a price difference when comparing new electric and gas golf carts. However, over 90% of the used golf cart market comes from vehicles originally leased to private golf courses and country clubs whom are almost exclusively choosing electric models these days. This makes it quite a challenge to find a used gas golf cart.
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