Lithium vs Lead Acid Batteries
With advancements in recent years on battery technology. After the dominance of lead-acid batteries being used in Golf carts, it has been the affordable solution to power them. Lithium is a newer player tothis space, begging the question, is lithium now the better option?
Why Lithium?
For golf carts, performance and power is important. Lithium offers a lighter solution over lead acid by around 50%. This allows higher top speeds and the ability to have higher load limits that won’t affect performance.
Lithium provides the same voltage throughout its state of charge meaning performance is not compromised over a lead acid battery. Lead acid reduces voltage and is less capable of carrying loads during the day.
Quicker charging speeds allow users to get back to the course sooner. With typical charge times of 3 hours for lithium and getting to 80% charge in around 1 hour makes them much more appealing over the 8 hour charge time of a lead-acid equivalent.
Why Lead-Acid?
For older golf carts, lead-acid has paved the way throughout history. Buying replacement batteries are cheaper than a lithium battery. Some older golf carts were not designed for lithium and may not have the packaging space to switch to a replacement lithium. Therefore, it is much easier to replace older golf carts with their original lead acid setup for a quick and affordable solution that reduces the carts downtime.
Conclusion
Lithium batteries for golf carts are now in the mainstream. They can be manufactured using less harsh chemicals, last longer and offer the power and performance right up to their zero charge status. Despite lithium being more expensive in the short term, the longevity of lithium batteries mean they are cheaper over the long term than lead acid. Lead acid may be being an easier choice for older carts, but the newer technology makes lithium the standout option here.
Sources:
https://relionbattery.com/blog/best-golf-cart-batteries-lithium-ion-lead-acid
https://www.thepilotgroup.co.uk/lithium-ion-battery-vs-lead-acid-battery/#:~:text=Typically%20for%20lithium%20ion%20batteries,be%20stored%20by%20the%20battery.
