The growing popularity of 48-volt lithium-ion batteries in golf cars is primarily due to their charging efficiency and the ability to maintain peak power regardless of the load placed on the battery. For those willing to forgo the higher cost associated with these deep-cycle batteries, golf car owners typically ask: if one 48v battery is good, are more batteries better?
A single 48v gc2 li battery can weigh around 32 lbs. (14.5 kg). Replacing four 12v flooded lead-acid batteries or four agm batteries with two 48v gc2 li batteries will provide significant weight savings, ranging from 200 to 300 lbs., depending on the type of batteries.
Golf car owners can connect most lithium-ion batteries in parallel to manage larger current draws than a single 48v battery can handle alone. Connecting li batteries in parallel in your golf car can counteract higher amounts of current draw brought on by increased loads placed on the batteries. For example, golf cars that carry four or more people with luggage and/or multiple sets of golf clubs, as well as encountering steep hill climbs while carrying excessive weight, can cause li batteries to experience increases in current draw from the electric motor.
These scenarios generate a greater amount of heat from a li battery. As a safety measure to prevent overheating, the battery management system (bms) inside the battery can shut it down entirely if it reaches a pre-set temperature. An advantage of li batteries connected in parallel is that if one is shut down by the bms to protect it from low power or other issues, the other batteries in the pack will continue to provide power and allow vehicle operation. Therefore, if these conditions exist in how you use your golf car, it may make sense to incorporate multiple 48v batteries.
For many golf car owners, however, the expense of adding multiple li batteries and the necessary cables and hardware to their golf car may seem out of the question. Battery manufacturers have developed an alternative, offering larger 48v batteries with greater capacity, while still providing additional weight savings compared to multiple lead-acid batteries.
For example, u.s. Battery’s us 48v105 has a 105 ah rating and can handle a greater current draw. Matthew Ely, U.S. Battery manager of product & process engineering, says that the company’s us 48v105, which measures 12.60″ w x 17.44″ l x 10.32″ h, replaces up to three us 48vgc2 batteries and only weighs 92.6 lbs. Additionally, a single 48v 105ah large battery is less expensive than adding multiple 48v gc2 batteries, wired in parallel, to your golf car.
If you’re considering using a single or multiple 48v li batteries, ensure you look for ul certification ratings and ip ratings for dust and water intrusion to guarantee the safest, highest quality battery for your specific application. For more information on golf car deep-cycle batteries, visit www.usbattery.com.
