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How to Make Electric Golf Cart Faster & Better?- 6 Effective Tips

By Jay Matthews · · Updated

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To transport easily around the local courses, an electric golf cart can be your best means that is also relatively inexpensive. However, sometimes the unbearably slow speed of this transportation can be a reason for you to become annoyed.

And so, taking some measurements on knowing how to make an electric golf cart faster may cross your mind. Luckily through some careful considerations and by going for a few upgradations, you can improve the speed of your electric golf cart. Today let’s talk more on this matter and see what options do you have.

How to Make Electric Golf Cart Faster With 6 Tips.

The good news is that its relatively easier to get higher powered and faster components for an electric golf cart. You don’t have to bother much about the modification process for better performance with these, unlike gas-powered golf carts. Here are six solutions to get rid of your cart’s speed tragedies.

How to Make Electric Golf Cart Faster

1. Better Torque Might Be the Answer.

To get a fast golf cart you’ll need to improve its quality by thinking about one essential element, the Torque. Some people may have difficulty understanding the term and confuse it with horsepower. However, the concept is not similar actually.

Horsepower is not as crucial as Torque and even with a minimal amount, there’s nothing to worry about it. However, with Torque it needs some consideration of yours. Basically, it means the motor’s pulling power. It also dictates speed in a number of ways. A cart that can pull higher weight levels without much problem definitely has a high Torque as well. Also, it will be able to give a high speed by running the engine at a good rate.

With an electric golf cart's DC motor, torque rises with the current the batteries and controller deliver, while top speed rises mainly with system voltage. So a higher-voltage pack, with parts rated to match, is the usual route to a faster cart. Also, by upgrading the motor, spending for new tires, and keeping the weight of the cart significantly low, you can improve torque as well as the speed of your cart. We’ll be talking about these in more detail in the next paras.

2. Change the Batteries.

Changing the batteries timely is a good way to keep your cart’s speed upgrading by right means. To do so, you must look for a battery that is capable to provide you with good towing power. Usually, the updates of battery are a very easy concept to understand for the general users. So, you will be able to find a good pick by the end with less effort.

Also, if you simply go with a high-powered battery than the existing one, it’s almost always going to work for giving you better golf cart speed. When buying one, make sure to check the amperage and voltage with the utmost attention.

Most carts run on a 36-volt or 48-volt pack made of several 6-, 8- or 12-volt batteries wired in series. For example, a 48-volt system can use eight 6V, six 8V or four 12V batteries. Swapping to 12V batteries alone doesn't make a cart faster if the pack voltage stays the same; the gain comes from raising the system voltage (say, 36V to 48V) or from a stronger pack such as lithium that holds its voltage under load.

But then again, you want to check the manufacturer’s specifications as well. Don’t just go for any random type of battery that won’t fit your cart. A higher-voltage pack also needs a motor, controller and solenoid rated for it, or you risk damaging them. So be very mindful of that.

3. Go for a Motor Replacement.

The motor of your cart has a job to translate the battery’s electric power into pulling motion. That means if you pay attention to upgrading the motor then the cart can get faster. Your motor has a field coil which is the most important for dictating the cart’s speed. It produces a magnetic field that helps in powering the cart and keeping the battery’s health in good condition. If you get a larger coil here, then getting better magnetic power will result in producing greater torque.

Check the motor's label or the manufacturer's specs to see whether it is built for torque or for speed. Larger field coils usually mean more torque, not more speed.

Because there are a few types of motors that are capable of making high torque levels. But that’s for pulling more weight, not to benefit the speed feature. One solution to this situation is ensuring a careful balance between the speed and torque.

4. Upgrading the Speed Controller & Solenoid Contactor.

There are two elements in most golf carts that may be the reasons behind the limitation of how fast it can drive. And these are the speed controller and solenoid contactor. Some people believe that bypassing these will instantly add speed. That's unsafe: the controller manages motor current, and the solenoid is what switches power on and off.

To ensure that your motor is not running too fast and cause any damage, these elements basically functions and controls. And that’s why there’s no doubt that both of these are essential elements for the engine. But that does not mean you can’t work with a few tricks here and improve the engine speed. And the trick is to get pieces that will exceed your engine’s maximum amperage.

Suppose your upgraded batteries and motor can draw far more current than the stock parts allow. In that case, you need a solenoid contactor and speed controller rated for those levels. Stock controllers are rated well below what high-performance parts can draw, which is one reason a cart's speed is capped.

So, you should browse through options or contact the manufacturers to find out parts that can meet these levels. Usually, these are located under the performance labeled sections. These cost quite more than the standard ones as well. Also, keep in mind that upgrading the solenoid contactor and speed controller works best alongside a motor upgrade.

5. Pay Attention to The Cart Tires Too.

Now that you have paid enough attention to items that were limiting the speed of your cart, time to think about expansion and improvements. And this includes going for a larger and higher quality tire. Bigger tires cover more ground with each turn of the wheel, so they raise top speed.

The trade-off is torque: a larger tire makes the motor work harder, so hill climbing and acceleration can suffer unless the motor and controller are upgraded too.

Don't go too big. Oversized tires can rub, may need a lift kit, and add weight. Check your cart maker's guidance before going past the stock size.

6. Try Reducing Weight from Your Golf Cart.

And finally, this tip is a more obvious one that you might already have guessed by now. Try to keep the overall weight of your golf cart on the lesser side. So that the motor does not drain quickly due to overweight and loses its speed enhancing capabilities.

Clear out tools, coolers and other gear you don't need, and keep the tires inflated to the recommended pressure. Regular cleanups also help, mostly by keeping mud off moving parts and battery terminals.

A Note on Speed Limits and Safety

Golf carts are built and braked for low speeds. A street-legal low-speed vehicle, under the federal standard, may not exceed 25 mph, and many states and communities set their own golf cart rules. Modifications can also void your warranty, so check before you upgrade.

Conclusion

And these were six simple ways on how to make an electric golf cart faster. By utilizing these tips for your electric golf cart, you’ll sooner notice a higher speed result. Your golf cart needs these up-gradation, modification, and maintenance once in a while anyway. And so, going for these enhancements will definitely give your golf cart more flexibility to work better. So, give these considerations some thought and decide whether or not you’ll like to go ahead with it.

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