Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005 | ||
Bad Links? | Gas prices may lead to rise in golf cart usageWith gas prices rising, Fayette County residents who have electric golf carts may find themselves using the carts more than they ever anticipated. We have more than 100 miles of recreational paths in the area, noted Tami Morris, publisher of the Peachtree PathFinder Guide Books and Maps. If you have a golf cart, you can go virtually anywhere the paths lead. Youre only limited by the capacity of your cart. Golf carts are used routinely by Peachtree City high school students and parents going to and from school, as well as for errands and recreation. Under the best of circumstances, a fully charged golf cart will run from 105 to 120 minutes at full capacity. This is assuming one person on board (no more than 180 pounds) on level terrain, with the cart running at peak capacity. There are several factors that affect the battery capacity including the age of the batteries and how well they have been maintained, outdoor temperature, terrain and tire pressure. According to Dennis Mitchell, a service specialist with E-Z-GO in Augusta, its difficult to estimate street driving. They are designed to be able to go two 18-hold rounds of golf between charges, said Mitchell. Translated to street and path driving, assume about 20 miles under the best conditions. The number one thing that golf cart owners can do to keep their carts running at peak performance is to keep the battery water at the proper levels. The water should be checked twice a week during the hot summer and fall months, said Morris. Secondly, the tire pressure should be kept, on average, at 24 to 25 psi. So how do you compare the energy costs between using a golf cart and driving a car? This question was posed to Mary Ann Bell, director of public relations for the Fayette-Coweta Electric Membership Corporate in Palmetto. Its all a matter of computing volts, amperages, watts, usage and cost per kilowatt, said Bell. On average, it costs about 2.6 cents per hour to charge a 36-volt battery system and 3.8 cents per hour for a 48-volt system. However, it depends on your battery system. Detailed instructions on how to compute energy costs for a specific type of cart battery system are posted on Morris Web site at www.ptpathfinder.com. The site also explains how to properly check and fill golf cart batteries. On average, it takes from six to eight hours to fully charge a golf cart. Assuming 20 miles per full charge on a 36-volt system, your cost ends up being about a penny per mile. For owners of gas-operated golf carts, the news is also good. Yamaha gas golf carts have been rated by an independent company to get 31.6 miles per gallon of regular unleaded gas, said Robert Kirby, marketing coordinator with Yamaha Golf Car Co., in Newnan. The fuel tank capacity on the new models is 6.3 gallons, so users can expect to get almost 200 miles per tank of gas. The bottom line is that we will definitely be seeing an increase in the use of golf carts, said Morris. Peachtree PathFinder Guide Books and Maps are available at the Peachtree City Library, Omega Books and Wild Birds Unlimited. Morris can be reached at 770-487-1348 or via e-mail at tami@ptpathfinder.com.
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Copyright 2005-Fayette Publishing, Inc. |