Getting around the golf course is so much easier nowadays with golf carts. You can’t blame people for wanting to treat themselves since they’re fun to ride and make the game easier to play. Battery power is an essential component of any golf cart. Your golf cart will function poorly if its battery is not in good condition. Therefore, you must need to know how long to charge a golf cart battery before you start using it?
How Long Does it Take to Charge A 48 Volt Golf Cart Battery?
Normally, a battery can be fully charged in 5-6 hours. You must also maintain your cart battery regularly because there are many factors that affect its charging potential.
Furthermore, A 48-volt golf cart should be completely charged in a maximum of 6 hours, depending on the condition of the battery. Ideally, you should select one charger that can charge your batteries overnight and has a 48 Volt output. It is solely determined by the batteries’ condition that determines the charging time for your golf cart.
In addition to your golf cart’s charging time, remember that several factors affect its power, including:
- Battery quality: The battery life will be reduced when old batteries are used. Thus, if you notice your cart struggling, you may consider replacing the battery.
- Discharge level: Another issue that older batteries have is low discharge levels, which indicate lost power.
- Charger quality: The golf cart battery will receive the full charge it needs if you purchase a suitable charging point.
Taking into consideration the current state of the battery and how well it was manufactured is one of the factors that determines the battery’s quality. Battery discharge, which is the amount of power that has been lost, is a second factor to consider. Last but not least, the quality of the charger used to charge the battery after it has exhausted is the third factor that affects how fast your golf cart will charge. Moreover, you also consider your cart service and consider ordering a new battery if you are concerned about the quality of the battery.
Explanation of Factors:
Charge time for a golf cart is dependent on three major factors. Among them are:
- Battery Quality
- Discharge depth of the battery
- Charger quality for golf carts
- Your charger’s cycle count
Battery Quality: Golf cart batteries work by charging, discharging, and then charging again. Compared to batteries over two years old, batteries under two years old charge a tenth slower. Battery capacity typically decreases with age. So it will charge faster when it is older.
It’s advisable to discharge batteries to no more than 50% capacity. You can use 50 amp hours of a 100 amp battery pack before it needs to be recharged. You will need to charge your old battery pack when you have used 30 amps if it has degraded to 80 percent capacity. When you use the same charger at 40 amps, it takes less time to charge than when you use 50 amps. It takes approximately four to five hours to charge the new EZGo Lithium Elite.
Discharge depth of the battery or Dod: It will usually take less time to charge a battery if it was not fully discharged before charging. Consequently, charging a completely discharged battery will take longer. Using a battery charger to charge batteries with a DOD of 50% will take at least ten hours. If a heavy-duty charger is used, the charging time will be reduced only slightly.
Charger quality for golf carts: The golf cart battery would take longer if the charger type was incorrect. You need to understand the golf cart you use to ensure you always use the right charger. There are different voltage levels in golf cart batteries. Golf carts can be driven with either 36V or 48V electric power.
The same charger voltage should be used to charge the golf cart battery. 48-volt golf carts require 48-volt chargers, and 36-volt golf carts similarly require 36-volt chargers. Your golf cart’s battery can be identified by its number of cells (holes), so reading this number will allow you to determine whether it is a 36V golf cart or a 48V golf cart. The two-volt cell has two holes. For a 48V golf cart, therefore, there are four holes for the batteries.
Depending on the battery condition (about 50% charge left), the batteries may charge quickly within six or seven hours if the battery charger is appropriate (very efficient). If the charger is not suitable (with a low amp output like two to five amps), it could take more than ten hours. Charging golf carts usually takes between 10 and 20 amps. It takes 14 hours to charge a battery of 220 amps with a 15 amp current. For a 100 amp-hour charge using 10 amps, there will be a waiting time of 10 hours. A simple calculator can determine how much energy is used and how much electricity is used to charge your battery.
How to Maximize Battery Life?
The best way to maximize the battery life of your golf cart is to know how to use it properly. You can follow a few tips to increase the battery life by following these. Among them:
- Whenever possible, fill the battery with distilled water. The ions and electrolytes can damage acid plates inside the battery in normal water. Be sure to always keep an eye on the water level and fill it whenever it seems low.
- Always fully charge your battery after use. Make sure it does not completely discharge. To prolong the life of the battery, 50 to 80% discharge is considered acceptable. Make sure you charge your vehicle when you go for rides so you will be able to get back to your house with 20% battery power.
- The battery should be charged automatically by a charger. Your battery is automatically stopped from being overcharged when it detects this feature. Likewise, unplugging the battery doesn’t require it to be fully charged.
Average Lifespan of Golf Cart Battery
Getting a new battery is also a question that needs to be answered. Depending on the brand of battery you use is one major aspect. Some batteries will last longer than others. You should keep in mind that a cheaper battery will last for less time.
When you have the budget, you should invest in a battery that has a long lifespan. A Trojan golf cart battery offers low maintenance and is one of the best brands available. These batteries typically last from 7 to 9 years on average. The cost is high, however. Comparatively to cheaper brands like Sam’s Club, a set of six Trojan batteries costs approximately $750.
Between 1 and 3 years is likely the battery’s lifespan. However, Sam’s Club batteries can only be equal to one Trojan battery if you buy up to 4 sets. The price would be about $1,200. You can get a long-lasting battery from brands like Interstate Batteries or US Battery if you’re looking for a happy medium between price and battery life.
Charging After Every Use
When you have used your golf cart for a while, charging it is ideal. You can keep your cart battery active if you charge it regularly, and this will prevent its power from deteriorating over time. You shouldn’t charge the battery if it is about 90 percent charged. The possibility of overcharging may occur if you charge it repeatedly when there is still enough power in it.
From this perspective, let’s look at it. In the process of driving it back home after you have driven it to the back of a 12-acre parcel, you won’t discharge its battery too much. Still charging it at this point might increase the risk of overcharging. Over time, you might damage or reduce the battery life of the cart if you continue to put unnecessary strain on it.
Cart owners, however, also faced with the problem of undercharging batteries apart from overcharging. Having an undercharged cart battery will result in high discharge rates due to its low power supply. Therefore, it’s important to fully charge your battery whenever you are charging it. A charger that charges automatically is recommended. This is the best kind of charger to use in this circumstance.
Don’t Over Charge Golf Batteries.
Among the factors that greatly shorten the life of your golf cart battery is overcharging. The water within the power cells in your golf cart evaporates when you charge them. A dry dish results from overcharging them since their plates will lose water. If not properly vented, a golf cart battery may eventually overheat, and heat is one of the leading causes of death of golf cart.
Once most cart batteries are fully charged, the charge is automatically shut off. A battery charger with this feature will minimize overcharging by controlling the charging time. Monitoring the charging progress manually may be necessary if you are still using older chargers.
How long should golf cart batteries last?
You can expect a standard, brand-new golf cart battery to last about ten years if you play golf twice a week and use it for each round. If you charge the battery properly after use, you can extend its shelf life.
A typical golf cart battery currently comes in a six-volt, eight-volt, or 12-volt configuration. Power is expressed by the voltage, which tells us how powerful a battery is. If your battery needs replacing, ensure you have the right one by checking the manufacturer’s specifications.
Count the number of acid holes on the top of each battery to determine its voltage requirements by contacting your local battery distributor.
Batteries for golf carts are available in different types and models – Flooded Lead Acid, Gel Lead Acid, and AGM Lead Acid. In the event that you don’t know what kind of replacement to buy, you should seek clarification.
Faqs about How Long to Charge a Golf Cart
Do we need to Charge Golf Cart in Tow or Run?
Answer: It is wise to charge your golf cart while on the course 99 times out of 100. If you plan to take the battery out, tow should only be used if you won’t be using the cart for an extended period. It is essentially a kill switch that is located under most cart seats. You cannot move your cart while it is in tow mode, but its wheels will still turn naturally so that you can return it to its starting location. Moreover, you might also want to consider that it is free to move when your cart is in tow mode. You won’t use your golf cart if the battery is low. This is an important feature of any golf cart.
Is it a good idea to keep my golf cart plugged in all the time?
Answer: The battery of your golf cart should not remain plugged in at all times. The circuit breaker can trip and damage your battery’s cells even though they are designed to prevent overcharging, even with automatic chargers.
When should you charge your golf cart?
Answer: Certainly. In order to extend the life and capacity of new golf cart batteries, you should charge them every time you use them. Recharging a new golf cart battery after use is crucial. Batteries require charging more often than they do when they are new.
How long does it take to charge a 48V golf cart battery?
Answer: Using the right golf cart battery charger style, charge your batteries for around eight to ten hours. If you have used your cart during the day, you should charge your cart overnight. It’s important to give the golf cart batteries a good charge, even if you only used them for 5 minutes.
How to Keep My Batteries from Dying?
Answer: Keeping your golf cart batteries fully charged at all times is vital to the long-term performance of your batteries. Connect the battery terminals to the battery cells and keep the water in the cells. Your battery will not corrode or die if you follow these three steps.
Can we overcharge golf cart batteries?
Answer: The batteries in your golf cart can be damaged if they are overcharged. An automatic charger should be used that automatically turns off the battery as soon as it is full. This feature is not available on some older models. Don’t forget to turn off your manual charger if you must use one.
How much is a golf cart battery?
Answer: Battery replacement is generally priced between $800 and $1500. In the case of sealed batteries and 72 Volt systems, some packs cost as much as $2000. Typical lead-acid battery costs range from $900 to $1500.
How can a golf cart travel how far on a full charge?
Answer: Depending on the manufacturer, most gas golf carts have between a 5 and 6-gallon gas tank and get about 40 miles to the gallon. The electric golf cart battery is capable of traveling 35 miles at full charge when it is in perfect condition.
Wrapping Up
Depending on the battery’s condition, it does not take an absurd amount of time to boost up a battery. The battery’s condition may even influence which battery charger is best to use. If you want to shorten the time it takes to charge your phone, you should invest in a heavy-duty charger. In this regard, it is important to understand that the usage frequency of your cart can also impact battery life.
Moreover, I hope after reading our guide, which is about How Long to Charge a Golf Cart, you can know everything about the Golf Batteries and their charging. If you still have any issues, let us know via the comment section. Thank You!
