BATTERY BUZZ: SELECTING A GOLF CART BATTERY

SELECTING A GOLF CAR BATTERY:

TIPS TO KEEP YOU ROLLING

If you need a battery for your golf car or personal transportation vehicle (PTV), it’s important to do your due diligence.

All manufacturers position their batteries as long-lasting and high-performing, but there can be big differences in these products.

New players have entered the battery market, many based abroad. They don’t always manufacture quality products or back them with the service and support you deserve.

That can leave you stuck in your garage when you should be driving to the pool, stranded in 100o heat, or scrambling to activate your warranty. The entry price for these batteries may be good, but the total cost of ownership is not. AVOID BUYERS’ REMORSE The best way to find a durable and dependable battery is to partner with a manufacturer who understands the golf and PTV market and has a proven track record in it. These companies generally have refined their batteries over the years, solving users' problems along the way.

Further, they have the infrastructure to back their products with the service and support you deserve.

ILOOK FOR A PARTNER THAT: • Brings decades of collective experience to every battery they manufacture. • Supplies batteries to major golf car manufacturers. • Offers a Customer Support Line staffed by real people who can answer your questions and help you troubleshoot issues. • Has an international network of master distributors. • Guarantees their batteries with long dependable warranties and staffs a U.S.-based warranty team. • Offers a full portfolio of batteries: flooded lead acid, AGM, Gel, and lithium-ion. • Manufactures drop-in, scalable batteries so you can switch from one type of battery to another and add batteries to increase your range without retrofitting. • Invests in research and development to advance battery technology. • Provides informational videos, manuals, sales sheets, guides, whitepapers, and other resources on their website. And if you’re in the market for a lithium-ion battery, make sure the manufacturer has a network of authorized golf car dealers who are trained to sell and service their batteries.

SAY ALOHA TO HAWAII’S RADICAL

It may not be a part of the contiguous United States, but Hawaii is the United States through and through and has not only embraced today’s custom golf cart trends but taken them to whole new level.

The island lifestyle lends itself to using carts and low speed vehicles as a convenient mode of transportation. Small islands with narrow, sometimes treacherous road conditions and crowded streets can be an ideal place to use a golf cart to get around as opposed to a standard passenger vehicle, motorcycle, or scooter.

The custom golf cart industry in Hawaii is booming with both on and off-road vehicles surging in popularity. Some are transforming their older carts to use on trails and undeveloped land, while others are opting for a custom vehicle they can legally use on the islands’ roads.

CAN I USE MY GOLF CART ON THE ROAD IN HAWAII?

Even though Hawaii is unaffected by most Federal laws, there are still state and local ordinances that regulate the use of certain golf carts on Hawaiian roadways.

Generally, a typical golf cart cannot be operated legally on the roads of the Hawaiian Islands, but LSV’s, (low speed vehicles), can, provided they meet certain technical requirements.

An LSV must have 4 wheels to be used on the street. It must also be capable of speeds of a minimum of 20 mph and a maximum of 25 mph. The LSV cannot weigh more than 3,000 pounds, and needs to have a 17-digit VIN, just like a car.

PHOTOS COMPLIMENTS FROM @NOTORIOUS_KART_KLUB, @808 CARTELZ, @MANIACKARTCLUB, @JDMSIR RADICAL CUSTOM CART SCENE

Also, just like the driver of a car, LSV drivers must have a valid drivers license and carry adequate insurance on the vehicle.

LSVs are regulated by the same laws and restrictions of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards, and if used on public roads the vehicle needs to have a complete listing of all pertinent operational regulations and ordinances posted somewhere on the vehicle in plain sight.

One important law regarding using LSVs on Hawaiian roads is they cannot be operated on any road which has a speed limit of more than 35 mph, although a driver can cross such a road, provided it is at a recognized traffic crossing. To operate an LSV legally on roads in Hawaii, they need to be equipped with headlights, taillights, brake lights, functioning turn signals, windshields, rear-view mirrors, seat belts, parking brake and reflectors. it may not be a part of the contiguous United States, but Hawaii is the United States through and through and has not only embraced today’s custom golf cart trends but taken them to whole new level.

The island lifestyle lends

itself to using carts and low speed vehicles as a convenient mode of transportation. Small islands with narrow, sometimes treacherous road conditions and crowded streets can be an ideal place to use a golf cart to get around as opposed to a standard passenger vehicle, motorcycle, or scooter.

HAWAIIANS AS CART-CRAZY AS PEOPLE IN THE MAINLAND

Known as the most isolated population center on the planet, Hawaii is just under 2,400 miles from the California coast, and there are 8 main islands in the chain. Hawaiians are an independent people who march to the beat of their own drummer, in their own unique time zone and with a deep respect for their home’s history and traditions.

And just like throughout the rest of the U.S., people in Hawaii are as passionate about customizing their golf carts and other LSVs. From “neighborhood transportation vehicles” to carts used on the huge coffee and pineapple plantations, carts here are used or a variety of reasons, and cart upgrades and customization is a booming business on the islands.

Golf Cart Hawaii is located on the island of Kahului and was founded in 2012. The company specializes in the sales and service of their own line of LSVs called E-Land. They also sell the popular Evolution line of LSVs. Recognized as the state’s first street legal LSV manufacturer, the company’s E-Land line comes in the Forrester, Turfman and Classic model lines, custom-built for the buyer’s specific needs and use. All their vehicles come standard with every street-legal accessory needed for use on the road, and the Turfman model is meant for serious commercial use and all-terrain needs where high ground clearance, powerful electric motors and heavy-duty hydraulic dump beds are required to get the job done.

Golf Carts Hawaii uses state-of-the-art lithium battery

technology to supply optimum power and overall reliability for the vehicles. They also market a complete line of aftermarket cart parts and accessories, plus used carts from E-Z-GO, Yamaha and Club Car. Their service department can handle any maintenance and customization conversion, and prides themselves on the highest quality work and customer service.

Nohokai, which means “dweller by the sea,” is another golf and utility cart firm in Hawaii, located about 15 miles north of Honolulu in Waipahu. They offer a wide-ranging array of fleet carts, custom LSVs and heavy-duty utility vehicles for commercial and agricultural use. The company has a large service business, golf cart and LSV rental programs and can even provide loaner vehicles to make servicing your cart more convenient. They offer routine and preventive maintenance, tires and wheels, lift kits, chargers, charger repairs and more.

LIFTING CARTS TO NEW HEIGHTS

Many custom golf carts and LSVs have lift kits installed, usually raising the cart by about 3 inches. In Hawaii, custom cart enthusiasts have gone to new heights in getting their carts off the ground, with A-arm lift kits, shock absorbers and coil springs as large as 8 to 14 inches. The result is a cart with an incredible ground clearance, aggressive stance, and completely custom look. Together with super fat after-market tires, this style of customization is very popular in Hawaii. In fact, the radical height on these types of carts and other utility vehicles like Razor’s has been dubbed the “Hawaii Style Tree Climber,” and allows maneuvers not unlike those of raised Jeeps.

Several groups of custom cart enthusiasts in Hawaii have formed to share the love of their hobby and lifestyle, including the Maniac Kart Club and Golf Carts Modified. They hold special events, community cart shows and parades for charity, and promote the hashtag #hawaiianstyle to support their design and build efforts and share their work with every cart customizing fanatic.

In 2020, Maniac Kart Club organized their first annual Toy Drive & Cart Cruise, travelling from Ewa to Pu'uloa Beach Park in Ewa Beach in the county of Honolulu. The event included about 50 custom carts that ranged from moderate customs to completely unique works of art and engineering marvels.

Long known as a tropical vacation destination and honeymoon haven, Hawaii is quickly becoming a hot spot in the world of outrageous custom golf carts. - CGMAG