Reading the spec on a vehicle page
Every electric cart on this site publishes its pack voltage, cell voltage, amp hours, chemistry, brand, battery year and remaining battery warranty. Pack voltage — 36V, 48V, 72V — sets the cart's power. Amp hours set the range. Battery year tells you how much life is left.
Expected life by chemistry
- Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4): 8 to 10 years, 3,000 to 5,000 cycles, no maintenance, 3 to 5 hour charge.
- AGM sealed lead-acid: 4 to 6 years, 600 to 1,200 cycles, no watering, 6 to 8 hour charge.
- Flooded lead-acid: 4 to 6 years, 500 to 1,000 cycles, monthly watering required, 8 to 10 hour charge.
Judging the battery on a used cart
Ask for the battery year first — a lead-acid pack older than four years should be treated as a near-term replacement cost of $900 to $1,800. On a test drive, watch for the cart slowing noticeably on a hill or after 20 minutes of running; that is voltage sag and it points to a tired pack. On flooded packs, check for corrosion at the terminals and confirm the water level is above the plates.
Charging habits that extend pack life
- Charge after every use rather than waiting for the pack to run low, on any chemistry.
- Never store a lead-acid pack discharged over winter — it will sulfate and lose capacity permanently.
- Leave a lithium pack at roughly half charge for long storage, and keep the disconnect off.
- Use the charger matched to the pack. A lead-acid charger on a lithium pack will not charge it correctly.