Trojan Tips: Battery Basics - Key To Golf Car Performance
Edition: January/February 2012
One of the most important features of a golf car, and probably one of the most ignored, is the battery. The battery is the heart of the golf car and can make or break a day on the course or running necessary errands around the neighborhood. Selecting the right battery and committing to a regular maintenance schedule will ensure that your customers’ golf car will carry them through 18 holes and make a trip to the local grocery store.
Having basic knowledge of batteries will go a long way in guiding your customers on selecting the proper batteries. Understanding the various battery technologies, how to select the right battery type, effective maintenance practices, safety precautions and proper off-season storage methods are just some of the key factors to ensure the reliable performance of their golf cars day in and day out.
To help expand your battery “know how,” Trojan Battery will provide a series of articles over the next several issues that offer insight and tips on how to get the most out of a golf car battery. In this first article, we will explore the various battery technologies available today, industry trends and what to consider when determining which battery best fits a particular customers’ requirements.
With today’s tight economy, the trend when buying batteries is to go cheap. However, cheaper never equals better and your customers are sure to get what they pay for. Whether they are grabbing a few holes on the links or picking up a few items at the local store, they want their golf car to get them where they need to go, so investing in a quality battery is their best choice. Not only will they benefit from reliable performance of their golf car, they’ll get the best return on their investment because a quality made battery will have a longer lifespan. No one wants to replace a battery every couple of years. In the long run, the cheaper battery will cost your customers more because they’ll have to replace them more often.
Customers also often ask the question “what battery technology is the best for their golf car?” Hilly terrain and constant stop and go activity combined with daily discharge and recharge cycles, can stretch the limits of a battery so their decision of using flooded, AGM or gel technology is really dependent on some of these things. Do they mind committing to a regular watering maintenance schedule? Are they willing to invest in a new charging system? Are they willing to spend more for convenience?
Deep-cycle flooded batteries are the most appealing due to their low initial cost and long life; however they require periodic “watering” to ensure the health and longevity of the battery. This can be a time consuming and sometimes messy job. For these reasons, it is important that your customers are willing to commit to a regular maintenance schedule before purchasing flooded batteries otherwise they are wasting their time and money. To lessen the hassle of watering flooded batteries, watering systems are available that make this process easier. One such system is the HydroLink™ watering system from Trojan Battery. Over 65% of new golf cars are now sold or leased with watering systems pre-installed on the batteries. Single-point watering systems allow for precise, clean and quick battery watering saving you valuable time and money.
If customers would rather not worry about watering batteries and are willing to spend more money for maintenance-free convenience, AGM and gel batteries are other options. Both AGM and gel batteries are considered ‘recombinant’ which means that sealed pressure relief valves force the recombination of oxygen and hydrogen back into water during recharge so that almost no electrolyte is lost, so watering is unnecessary. However, since most golf cars initially come with flooded batteries from the manufacturer, it is important to note that if customers choose to move from flooded to AGM or gel batteries, it will be necessary to replace their golf car’s charger system because AGM and gel batteries require a different charge algorithm than flooded batteries. It’s also important to note that AGM and gel batteries are less “forgiving” then flooded batteries when improperly charged which can lead to reduced battery life. When used in similar applications, and when properly maintained, flooded batteries will outlast AGM and gel technologies.
Understanding the various battery technologies available on the market today enables you to select the best battery type that will provide greater performance, reliability and longevity to power your golf car. Because there are several factors to consider when choosing a battery such as maintenance requirements, charging processes and lifespan, it’s important that you do your homework on the various battery manufacturers and their products. An initial investment in high-quality batteries will go a long way in keeping your total cost of ownership to a minimum and ensuring maximum performance of your golf car. Even better, with the right golf car battery you’ll have more time to pursue the perfect game or cruise the neighborhood.
