1. Normal service life of golf cart battery

• In general, lead-acid batteries are the type of batteries commonly used in golf carts, and their service life is usually about 2-5 years. If it is of good quality and properly maintained, it can be close to 5 years; If the use of poor environment or poor maintenance, it may need to be replaced in about 2 years.

• Lithium batteries have a relatively long service life and can normally be used for 5-10 years. This is mainly because the chemical properties of lithium batteries are relatively stable, and the cyclic charge and discharge performance is better.

  
  

2.The factors that affect the battery life of golf carts

(1) Charging habits

• Overcharging: If the charging system of the golf cart does not automatically power off, continuous charging will accelerate the loss of active substances on the battery plate. For example, when a lead-acid battery is overcharged for a long time, the water in the electrolyte will be electrolyzed into hydrogen and oxygen to escape, resulting in a reduction in the electrolyte, and the battery plate will be oxidized when exposed to the air, shortening the battery life.

• Excessive discharge: Each time the battery charge is used very low or even exhausted, it will cause irreversible damage to the battery. Taking lead-acid batteries as an example, excessive discharge will vulcanize the battery plate, the conductivity of the plate after vulcanization becomes worse, the battery capacity decreases, and this vulcanization process is gradually accumulated, which will more and more seriously affect the battery performance.

  
  

(2) Use environment

• Temperature: High temperatures are bad for batteries. For example, when the ambient temperature is too high, the chemical reaction speed inside the lead-acid battery is accelerated, and the self-discharge rate of the battery will be significantly increased. At the same time, the high temperature will also accelerate the aging of the battery plate and electrolyte, leading to problems such as battery bulges. On the contrary, in a low temperature environment, the chemical reaction speed of the battery slows down, the output power of the battery will decline, and long-term use in a low temperature environment will also affect the life of the battery.

• Humidity: If the golf cart is often used in a high humidity environment, metal components such as battery poles are easy to rust and corrode. For example, after the battery pole is corroded, it will increase the internal resistance of the battery, and during the charging and discharging process, the energy loss inside the battery will increase, generating more heat, which will affect the service life of the battery.

  
  

(3) Battery maintenance

• Electrolyte level: For lead-acid batteries, the level of the electrolyte directly affects the battery performance. If the liquid level is too low, the plate cannot be fully soaked, which will lead to plate vulcanization and damage. Regularly checking and replenishing distilled water (which is not necessary for maintenance-free batteries) is one of the key measures to extend battery life.

• Cleanliness: If there are impurities such as dust and oil on the battery surface, it may cause the battery to self-discharge. For example, when the dirt on the surface of the battery accumulates to a certain extent, it will form a conductive channel, which generates a small current between the positive and negative electrodes inside the battery, consumes battery power, and may also cause serious problems such as battery short circuit.

  
  

(4) Frequency and intensity of use

• Frequent use: If the golf cart is used many times a day, the number of charge and discharge cycles of the battery will increase. Taking lithium batteries as an example, although it has better cyclic charge and discharge performance, frequent use will gradually consume the life of the battery. Each charge and discharge will make the chemical substances inside the battery change to a certain extent, and after a large number of cycles, the capacity of the battery will gradually decrease.

• Load size: When the golf cart carries too much load or is used frequently in the case of climbing and other needs greater power, the battery needs to output more current. This will put greater pressure on the plate and connecting parts inside the battery, accelerating the aging of the battery. For example, allowing the battery to work under a high load for a long time may deform the battery plate and reduce the performance and life of the battery.