How to Choose a Golf Cart Battery

Golf cart batteries are expensive and heavy, so it pays to get the order right the first time. These five steps cover everything we check when a customer asks us to help.

Step 1: Confirm your cart's voltage

Lift the seat and count the batteries, then read the voltage printed on one of them and multiply. Six 6V batteries make a 36V cart. Eight 6V, six 8V or four 12V batteries make a 48V cart. A few carts run at 72V. The voltage is also usually on the charger's label. Your new battery or kit should match it unless you're deliberately upgrading the whole drive system (see 36V vs 48V).

Step 2: Choose lead-acid or lithium

Lead-acid costs the least upfront, drops straight into the same tray and works with your cart's existing charger. It needs regular watering (flooded) or at least regular charging (AGM), and the pack weighs several hundred pounds.

Lithium (LiFePO4) costs more upfront but is far lighter, needs no watering, is rated for thousands of cycles and keeps the cart's speed steady until the battery is nearly empty. It needs a lithium charger, which is included in every conversion kit we sell. The full comparison is in lead-acid vs lithium.

Step 3: Check the fit

For lead-acid, match the group size (GC2, GC8 or GC12) and terminal type printed on your batteries. For lithium, choose a kit built for your cart's make and model, and where it matters, the model year and battery tray. A few examples where the details matter:

• Club Car Precedent kits can differ between 2004-2008 and 2009+ carts.
• EZGO RXV carts have a plastic or a metal tray, and some brands also split the RXV by generation.
• Yamaha Drive (G29) kits can differ between 2007-2010 and 2011+ carts.

The Fitment Guide lists every battery we sell by make, model and voltage, with the years where the manufacturer gives them.

Step 4: Size the battery for your range

Amp-hours (Ah) are the size of the fuel tank. For lithium, multiply volts by amp-hours to get watt-hours: a 48V 105Ah battery stores about 5 kWh. A 2-seat cart on flat ground does well on 105Ah. Lifted carts, big tires, 4- and 6-seaters, hills and street driving all use more energy, so step up to 150Ah or more. See range and amp-hours for the manufacturers' published range estimates.

Step 5: Compare what's in the box and the warranty

A lithium conversion kit should include the battery, a lithium charger, a way to see the state of charge, and the bracket and hardware for your cart. Check whether you also need a 12V converter for lights and accessories. Then compare warranties, which range from 3 years on some powersports batteries to 10-12 years (and limited lifetime on some ECO listings) on golf cart lithium. Our brand pages (Bedrock Battery, Allied Lithium, ECO Battery, BOLT Energy, EPOCH Batteries and more) summarize each brand's terms.

Quick checklist

• Cart make, model and year
• System voltage and number of batteries
• Lead-acid: group size and terminal type
• Lithium: kit built for your cart, plus tray type where it matters
• Amp-hours for your seats, terrain and accessories
• Charger, 12V converter and meter
• Shipping or local delivery (every battery we sell offers both)

Five questions to answer before you order

1. What's the make, model and year? The serial number plate usually gives the year. It decides between kits that differ by year, like the Club Car Precedent 2004-2008 and 2009+.
2. What voltage is it? Count the batteries and multiply by the voltage on one of them.
3. How do you use the cart? Seats, passengers, a lift kit, big tires, hills and street driving all point to a bigger battery.
4. What accessories run on it? Lights, a radio or USB ports mean you'll need a 12V converter with a lithium battery.
5. Has anything been upgraded? A high-amp controller or a high-speed motor changes how much current the battery has to supply.

Lead-acid or lithium: a quick way to decide

Lead-acid makes sense when you need the lowest upfront price, the cart sees light use and you don't mind watering. Interstate's flooded golf cart batteries, for example, come with a 12-month free-replacement warranty on most models, and our complete sets include every battery the cart needs. Lithium makes sense when you'll keep the cart for years, use it often, or want the weight savings. Interstate's own comparison rates flooded lead-acid at 400-500 cycles and its LiFePO4 battery at more than 2,500. The conversion guide includes a cost comparison with current prices.

Example picks

• A 2-seat Club Car Precedent used for golf: a 48V 105Ah kit such as the Bedrock 48V 105Ah Compact Precedent kit (Bedrock estimates 30-45 miles on a 2-seater).
• A lifted 4- or 6-seat EZGO TXT: the Bedrock 48V 150Ah TXT kit (40-60 miles for 4 seats, 30-50 for 6, per Bedrock).
• An older 36V Club Car DS: a 36V 105Ah kit such as the Bedrock 36V DS kit.

Related guides

• The complete lithium conversion guide: steps, make-by-make notes, costs and install videos.
• Fitment Guide: every battery we sell by make, model and year.
• Lead-acid vs lithium
• Range and amp-hours

Need a hand? Use the Fitment Guide to see every battery we sell for your cart, or send us your cart's make, model, year and serial number and we'll confirm the right battery before you order.