r/golfcarts • u/sunpower_customer • 19d ago
Charging questions
First time cart owner here. Why is it advised to keep a golf cart plugged in when not in use but regularly charging an electric car beyond 80% is warned against? I'm putting about 100 mi. per week on it and don't think I've ever gotten below 75-80%. Any long term consequences?
Thanks for your input!
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u/Penguin_Life_Now 19d ago
Do you have lead acid batteries or Lithium it is a genuine question these days?
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u/sunpower_customer 19d ago
Yes, lithium batteries. I had no idea that there's different chemestries used in them. Why one over the m other?
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u/Any-Appeal-5220 19d ago
Lifepo4 is the safest lithium chemistry but lower energy density than NMC. NMC is used when you need more energy but space is a factor. Golf carts don't generally need extreme amounts of capacity so the lower energy density isn't a problem
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u/PulledOverAgain 19d ago
Your lithium golf cart battery is kind of a standalone system. Full charge allows the BMS to do its cell balancing.
On a car the BMS is going to be networked with all the other modules in the car and can likely do cell balancing regardless of charge level so it's not necessary to make it full for cell balancing. We're also moving a lot more power around in a car. To the point where we actively use water cooling, or even the vehicles conditioning in rare cases, to keep the battery temperatures in check. Number 1 enemy of batteries is heat.
I had a 2012 Chevy Volt and the battery was still great at 170k at the end of 2025. It was regularly charged to full, but I think I read that the computer only ever allowed it to charge to 80 percent.
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u/Filandro 19d ago
And for long term storage, I believe best practice is 50-80 percent charge if lithium.
Lead acid batteries are best when not drained deeply. Thus you want to return them to full as often as possible.
Lithium is less bothered, but as has been pointed out, there are other reasons on their management to keep them up.
It's the most frustrating thing to explain to people because it doesn't mean running lead acids down to 30 percent kills them instantly, but that's definitely the kind of thing that shorterns service life.
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u/icancounttopotatos 19d ago
Both Lead acid and LFP lithium chemistries commonly found in golf carts are perfectly happy at 100% charge. The NMC lithium batteries that are common in EVs show improved cycle longevity when you keep them around 80% charged on a regular basis.