Golf Cart Battery Basics (UPDATED FOR 2024)

Golf cart batteries are vital to how well a golf cart runs. The batteries can affect speed, acceleration, run time and even how many accessories (lights, speakers, etc) you can attach to your cart. Since there’s so much to know – let’s jump in.

Voltage

Electric golf cart motors generally operate in battery systems consisting of 36 or 48 volts and draw between 50 and 70 amps of current. As golf cart batteries are generally sold in voltages of 6, 8, or 12, this means you’ll need to buy several to get to the voltage you need.

Voltage in a battery pack is all about power and runtime. While a single 6 volt battery on it’s own won’t provide you with much endurance, a bank of 6 or 8 of them, providing 36 or 48 volts will allow your cart to run all day long. And while a single 8-volt battery has only moderate amperage capacity, a 48-volt system consisting of six 8-volt batteries provides extended run time. 36 and 48 volt systems are the most common, and it’s important to know what batteries you have before replacing them.

Golf Cart Battery Characteristics

Golf cart batteries are deep-cycle batteries, meaning they are specially designed to provide more deep discharge cycles than a typical automotive battery. Along with golf carts, deep cycle batteries can be found in boats, recreational vehicles, power wheelchairs, and more. Deep cycle batteries can handle a prolonged current output throughout the day and be deeply discharged on a consecutive basis.

To prevent stalling, golf cart batteries must supply a steady flow of strong current for extended periods of time, as opposed to a starting battery (like what is in your car) that provides a quick jolt of high amperage power, and then a lower amount of power for an extended amount of time.

Golf Cart Battery Types and Chemistries

Golf cart batteries come in multiple types, including three kinds of lead acid batteries or lithium ion batteries, and there are pros and cons to each! We’ve included a quick chart here, but there is so much that we could write an entire post on this subject – and don’t worry, we have. Click here to jump into the different chemistries of golf cart battery to choose what is right for you.

How Much Do Golf Cart Batteries Cost?

Pricing for a golf cart battery pack can vary quite a bit based on what type of batteries you select! Powerstride offers a battery for all price points, from the most economical flooded lead acid battery, the US2000, with 220 Amp Hours for $143.00 per battery, all the way up to the US145, with 251 Amp Hours for $215.00 per battery. We also offer a full AGM line, and will shortly have a lithium line as well.

If you’d like to discuss your application and which battery we think would work best, please give us a call at (877) 576-9379 to speak with one of our battery experts

Extending the Lifespan of Golf Cart Batteries

On average, golf cart batteries should be replaced every five years, but maintaining them can preserve their lifespan all the more. The following suggestions will help you maximize the life of your battery pack:

- Store unused golf carts in “tow” mode: If you don’t plan to use the cart for an extended period (think: two weeks or more), turn the switch to “tow.” This turns off the computer in the cart and prevents it from continuously drawing power from the batteries.

In the winter, put the cart in “Tow” mode and charge the cart monthly, or invest in a battery tender to make sure the plates don’t sulfate. There is no faster way to kill a battery then by letting it sit for months at a time and then try to charge it up when the season starts, and we don’t want that to happen to you!

- Periodic Water Maintenance: Deep cycle batteries must be maintained to extend battery life and function optimally. Check water levels every two months by removing the caps covering each cell in the battery. Check to make sure the plates are covered with fluid – and if they are, put the battery on charge. If the plates aren’t covered, pour distilled water (please please please only use distilled water, and not battery acid!) until the plates are covered.

Then begin charging!

After charging, bring the water level up to about a quarter inch above the metal plates. The best time to refill the water in your golf cart batteries is right after fully charging them.

Please note: Be careful not to overfill the battery water level. If you fill them to the top, they will boil over and lead to corrosion.

- Battery Terminal Maintenance: Cleaning battery terminals is crucial to golf cart performance and battery life. If corrosion starts building up around battery terminals, clean them off immediately.

Take some water and a little bit of baking soda, and scrub at the corrosion with a toothbrush. Once you’ve removed the built-up corrosion, you can rinse with water and apply a liberal amount of battery terminal protector to prevent additional corrosion.

For batteries that are especially corroded or that you’d like to get the best life out of, Powerstride recommends our NOCO clean up and corrosion preventer bundle. This bundle will help you get the longest life out of your batteries, and we use in our shop every day for clean up and installations.

Battery Replacement

Even with the best care, golf cart batteries will have to be replaced eventually. How can you tell when you should replace them? Here are four telltale signs:

Increased charge time: When it starts taking longer for your battery pack to fully charge, it may be the first sign that the battery has aged

Loss of distance: A healthy battery should give you at least seven miles on a full charge. As the battery fades over time, the distance a rider can travel will lessen. When the distance covered on a full charge becomes an issue, it’s time to start looking for new battery options.

Acceleration: Carts with new batteries take off quickly, jump starting with a lot of power. As the battery weakens over time, the hot starts golf carts are known for become muted as well. When a golf cart struggles to travel uphill or accelerates slowly, it’s probably time for a new battery.

Signs of wear and tear: When you see signs of corrosion or bulges developing on a battery, it’s probably time to invest in a new battery.

Conclusion:

Golf cart batteries are complex, and there are lots of factors that make one chemistry and price point right for the application. Please give us a call at (855) 576-9379 if you have any questions. We’re looking forward to shipping out your new set of Golf Cart batteries today!