Searching online for the best golf cart battery could be a difficult task when the question comes up of which type of battery to choose. Lithium batteries have a long list of advantages over lead-acid but come with a higher retail price. Even lithium batteries vary greatly and you which may still leave you wondering, what is the best 48V golf cart battery I can buy? RELiON's InSight 48V battery doesn’t modify existing lithium battery technology to work best in a golf cart, but rather was designed from the ground up to be the best lithium battery available for any golf cart. Here are five reasons you should switch your golf cart to the superior technology of our InSight Series™ lithium batteries.
- Lithium batteries are more efficient than lead-acid
- Updated heat sink makes the battery safe from overheating
- InSight allows you to go farther with each additional battery
- GC2 size case allows for easy drop-in installation
- Smart BMS and user-friendly technology
Lithium Batteries Are More Efficient Than Lead-Acid
Lithium batteries outperform lead-acid in every way and have boosted the overall experience of driving a golf cart. They are less than half the weight, which makes them easier to install and an easier load on your cart, creating less wear and tear on the fairways. Lithium golf cart batteries have zero maintenance duties related to them, which means no water or cleaning acid residue from the connectors. They provide higher, sustained power so they are never sluggish. They’re difficult to damage, unlike lead-acid batteries that often see premature failure due to improper charging. Just charge them up and hit the links! On top of these benefits, lithium golf cart batteries last up to 10 times longer than lead-acid, which means you don’t have to replace batteries every couple of years.
Safe From Overheating
Another unique feature of InSight Series lithium golf cart batteries not found on any other battery available in the market today is its heat sink. The heat sink is an aluminum plate set in the cover that dissipates heat generated during operation, maximizing the life of internal components. The heat sink is a critical design feature because a single InSight battery is capable of 100-amp continuous discharge. This high output translates to more “zip” from the motor in light electric vehicle applications and greater torque in lifting applications when compared to lower grade lead-acid or lithium options. Most comparable lithium options are only capable of 50 amp continuous or don’t list a continuous rating at all.
Putting the heat sink on the top of the battery gives the heat generated by all the electronics a path to the outside world. Most batteries have their heat sink within the battery if they have one at all, which shuffles the heat away from the electronics but still traps it, causing the internal temperature to rise during extended use.
More Power to GO
A golf cart with lithium batteries feels lighter, faster, and smoother when driving. Golf carts are speed limited, but the higher voltage of a lithium battery provides more power, which increases golf cart acceleration. Your cart will reach tops speeds faster and maintain power for far longer. Most golf carts have between 4 and 6 spaces for batteries. Lead-acid and other lithium batteries need to be connected in series so you can get 48 volts from your entire battery bank. The InSight 48V battery is connected in parallel, which means that you can connect additional InSight batteries to customize how much battery capacity to meet your desired mileage range.
The majority of golf cart owners will use 2-3 InSight batteries in their golf carts to get the same range as their previous lead-acid batteries. Two InSight batteries will provide 60-amp hours and 24-34 miles per charge, three will provide 90 amp hours and 36-51 miles per charge and four will go 48-70 miles per charge with 120 amp-hours. each InSight 48V battery is 34 pounds, about half the weight of a lead-acid battery. The combination of greater capacity and less weight is a double benefit to your distance per charge. Depending on how you use your golf cart, and how hilly your golf course is, you can choose to replace the six eight-volt batteries (48-volt system) with either two, three, or four 48V lithium batteries. That is, you can start with a two-lithium battery system, and if you find you need more range, you can simply add one or two more lithium batteries to your system later on.
Easy Drop-In Golf Cart Battery Installation
The GC2 size battery casing of our InSight Series lithium battery fits perfectly into any standard golf cart battery tray. It’s designed specifically to make the installation process quick and easy. The modularity of the InSight battery allows it to be adaptable based on your needs, and if those needs change, you aren’t stuck with a bulky single unit. Once your batteries are placed in the battery tray you just need to connect them in parallel. It’s just that easy!
One of the other design features we insisted on with the GC2 case is its IP67 dust and water protection rating which has been certified by an independent laboratory. The bolted and gasket sealed enclosure permitted no water to enter the case while submerged under six inches of water for 30 minutes.
Smart Technology
The hardware and software of the battery management system (BMS) make RELiON’s InSight lithium battery just as smart as the smartphone in your pocket. These design features make the InSight Series one of the most user-friendly batteries available. First, the InSight battery features a sophisticated controller area network bus (CANbus) that allows the batteries to communicate real-time operating statistics like the voltage, current, state of charge, and state of health. However, the CANbus also makes InSight batteries more user-friendly to end users alike by making RELiON’s fuel gauge battery meter a plug-and-play accessory. No shunt, no programming, just plug it into the first InSight battery in the string and the Fuel Gauge reports the summed state of charge of all connected batteries.
The InSight line also features a sleep and pulse recovery operation mode to conserve power. If your InSight battery senses no charge or discharge current for more than a day or two it will go into sleep mode. Pulse recovery operation will turn the battery on for one minute every 10 minutes to check for current.
Are you ready for a smoother, quicker, and more efficient ride from your golf cart? RELiON InSight 48V lithium batteries have all the advantages that lithium batteries have over their lead-acid counterpart, but with added smart technology and designed specifically to be the best golf cart battery you can buy. To learn more about how to calculate your energy needs and find the optimal battery for your application and usage, visit ourLithium Battery Selector Tool, or Contact our team for more information on how to make the switch to InSight.