With Peachtree City touting some 90 miles of golf cart paths, how does one take advantage of it on one charge?

Going the distance has long been the problem with golf carts. The first golf cart was invented in 1935 by Lyman Beecher, an electrical engineer from Clearwater, Fla. It looked like a rickshaw with two wheels and a seat and needed two caddies to pull it. Five years later, he created a four-wheel cart powered by electricity that used six car batteries intended to last eighteen holes.

Early carts, however, often suffered battery failure and had to be recharged after nine holes. In 1951, Wonch Battery Company in Michigan developed a battery that could last 18-27 holes. In the 1980s, an electric golf cart could go 18 holes five times without recharging; today seven or eight trips--that is, when the batteries are new.

Today Peachtree City, now called the "golf cart capital of the world," with over 9,000 registered golf carts, faces a challenge. While in other cities "old golfers" abound, in Peachtree, teens are dominant. Kids as young as fifteen hum down paths colloquially called "children’s highway." And what teen wants to go slow?

As batteries age, they do just that. They weaken, cause the cart to slow down and get less power for each charge. In peak shape, a golf cart should go 30-40 miles, which is more than adequate for most trips. Not so on old batteries, because lead sulfate builds up on the battery plates, particularly in warm climates. Indeed, few people have ever experienced a really "new" battery. By the time a battery comes off the store shelf, it has already begun to develop lead sulfate.

An inventor, also from Clearwater, Fla., comes to the rescue. Chuck Van Breemen, a mechanical engineer with 25 years of experience in new product development, calls his invention Wave2 Restoration Technology. His product is Battery Life SaverTM, an electronic device you put on golf cart batteries to keep lead sulfate from forming. Used with a battery charger, it removes lead sulfate and renews worn out batteries. Peachtree City citizens are already beginning to use Battery Life Saver with good results.

The invention saves batteries, dollars and the environment. Golf cart batteries usually have a one year warranty, but manufacturers say they last five years. With each golf cart battery costing $90-100, the six needed for replacement adds up.

A study by The Electric Vehicle Association of Canada showed that it costs .01 cents a mile to operate an electric vehicle. With gas prices souring, golf carts make sense. But using them as a reliable mode of transportation depends on having reliable battery power. "Battery Life Saver is making that happen, insuring electric vehicles become more and more a safe, efficient, reliable mode of transportation," said Van Breemen.

Battery Life Saver can be used on a car as well -- there are different models for different types of batteries. Find out more from the free booklet, "Everything You Need to Know About Batteries - but were afraid to ask." It can be obtained by calling toll-free 866-301-8835 or go to www.battery-power.info for more information.

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