What is the difference between battery capacity and current draw? It depends on the type of battery in your golf car. Capacity, or lack thereof, is something many golf car owners are familiar with. It happens when their battery power begins to run low near the 15th hole on the course, or a mile before reaching home after a trip to the local grocery store. This typically occurs with lead-acid batteries when the charge begins to weaken, and the golf car runs more slowly, until it stops.
Golf cars equipped with Lithium-ion (Li) batteries won‘t suddenly slow down and quit from a lack of capacity, as they provide 100% peak power all the time. But they can quit due to higher loads and current draw. Let‘s say you‘ve been driving your golf car all day with your friends, in and around your community. As you head up a steep hill back home, the golf car suddenly quits. This is because the additional load of people, combined with the steep hill, results in a higher-than-normal current draw on the battery, generating excessive heat. The Battery Management System in Li-ion batteries will automatically cut power to prevent excessive heat that can damage the battery.
INCREASING CAPACITY AND/OR CURRENT DRAW
Increasing capacity with flooded lead-acid and AGM batteries is simple. You can move up to a battery with more rated capacity, or add another battery in parallel. If you‘re using Li batteries in your golf car that see constant high loads, you can decrease current-draw in the same way. Adding additional batteries in parallel can make up for constant peaks in current, keeping everything running safely while driving over long, steep hills or if your golf car consistently carries heavy loads.
Manufacturers also offer larger-sized 48V Li batteries that have a greater 105 Ah rating and can handle increased current draw. According to Marvin Ho, VP of Research and Development at U.S. Battery Manufacturing, a single 48V 105Ah large battery is less expensive than adding multiple Li 48VGC2 batteries, wired in parallel, to your golf car. “This is simply because of the amount of case materials and the number of cells,” says Ho. “But each situation needs is unique, and golf car owners should consult their battery dealer or manufacturer to get more information on the best and most cost-effective way to increase battery capacity or current capacity, if needed.” For more information on lead-acid battery capacity and Li battery current-draw, as well as understanding the differences, visit www.usbattery.com.
