What Battery Is In an E-Z-GO Golf Cart? You know the scene. A utility cart is halfway across the property, and it just gives up. Now you have a stalled delivery, a maintenance headache, and a crew standing around. Don’t blame the cart. The problem is almost certainly the batteries.
People call them “golf carts,” but on any real worksite, these E-Z-GOs are critical pieces of equipment. The batteries under that seat are the engine of your operation. Picking the right one isn’t about just getting through the day. It’s about uptime. It’s about your maintenance budget. It’s about the real cost over the long haul. So let’s look at what you’ve probably got and what you should have.
48v 100ah lithium golf cart battery
Understanding E-Z-GO Golf Cart Battery Types
E-Z-GO has used a few different setups over the years. Your fleet has one of these three.
1. Lead-Acid Batteries (Traditional Type)
This is the one everyone knows. The old-school flooded lead-acid battery. For years, it was all we had. The low price tag looks great on a purchase order, but it’s a trap. These things need constant babysitting. You have a weekly routine of checking water levels, cleaning the terminals so they don’t corrode into a mess, and running equalization charges. It’s a chore, and if your team skips it, the batteries die an early death. Simple as that.
2. AGM and Gel Batteries (Maintenance-Free Variants)
AGM and Gel batteries were a step in the right direction. They’re sealed, so you can stop worrying about spills and watering. That alone is a big relief for most maintenance crews. They cost more than the flooded ones and might not last quite as long, so they’re a bit of a compromise. A decent option if your only goal is to stop watering batteries.
3. Lithium-Ion Batteries (Modern Upgrade)
And then there’s lithium. Specifically, Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4). This isn’t some new-fangled tech; it’s proven, and it’s what powers modern EVs for a reason. E-Z-GO puts it in their new ELiTE carts from the factory. For a business, the difference is just huge.
- Zero Maintenance. You do nothing. No watering. No cleaning. Your crew gets hours back every week.
- Longer Lifespan. You’ll get 3,000 to 5,000 charge cycles. The very best lead-acid pack might get you 1,000.
- Faster Charging. They can be fully charged in a few hours, not overnight. This is what lets you “opportunity charge”—plugging a cart in at lunch and getting a real boost.
- Real Power. The cart has the same punch at 20% charge as it does at 90%. That feeling of a cart getting weak on hills? It’s gone.
How to Identify What Battery Your E-Z-GO Cart Uses
Don’t know what you’ve got? It’s easy to tell.
Step 1. Check the Voltage Configuration
Pop the seat. A big block of six or eight individual batteries wired together? That’s lead-acid. Every time. It’ll be a 36V or 48V system. If you see one single, clean-looking box, that’s lithium.
Step 2. Check the Model Year or Serial Plate
Find the manufacturer plate, usually in the glove box. If the cart is a recent E-Z-GO model and says “ELiTE,” it came with lithium. If it’s an older TXT or RXV, it was born with lead-acid.
Step 3. Look for Charger Compatibility
The charger doesn’t lie. You cannot use a lead-acid charger on a lithium battery. End of story. A lithium charger is designed to talk to a Battery Management System (BMS). Using the wrong one is a fire risk.
Comparing Battery Options: Lead-Acid vs. Lithium for E-Z-GO
For anyone managing a fleet, this is what it boils down to.
| Feature | Flooded Lead-Acid | LiFePO4 Lithium |
|---|
| Upfront Cost | Low | High |
| Lifespan (Cycle Life) | 500 – 1,000 cycles | 3,000 – 5,000+ cycles |
| Maintenance | High (watering, cleaning) | None |
| Performance | Experiences voltage sag | Consistent power output |
| Weight | ~350-400 lbs | ~100-150 lbs |
| Charging Time | 8 – 12 hours | 2 – 4 hours |
| Total Cost of Ownership | High (due to replacements & labor) | Low (pays for itself over time) |
Popular Battery Models Used in E-Z-GO Golf Carts
For Lead-Acid Systems
With lead-acid, you’ll see the same brands over and over. Trojan, with their T-105s and T-875s, is the most common. U.S. Battery is right there with them. They’re fine, but they all have that same maintenance checklist.
For Lithium Systems
E-Z-GO uses their own pack in the ELiTE carts. For upgrading an older rig, a few companies make great “drop-in” kits that are designed to fit the exact same space.
Can You Replace Lead-Acid with Lithium in an Older E-Z-GO?
People ask this constantly. Yes, you can. It’s the smartest upgrade you can make to an older cart. A tech pulls the old batteries and cables, drops in the single lithium pack, and hooks up a new charger and battery meter. The key is that a quality lithium battery has its own internal BMS to protect itself. Don’t buy one without it.
How Long Do E-Z-GO Golf Cart Batteries Last?
Here’s the real story on lifespan.
- Lead-Acid: 3 to 5 years, and that’s if you’re perfect with the maintenance. If not, you’ll be lucky to get 2-3 years.
- Lithium (LiFePO4): 8 to 10 years is standard. The battery will probably outlive the rest of the cart.
How to Maintain Your E-Z-GO Batteries for Maximum Life
For Lead-Acid
- Watering: Check weekly. Use distilled water.
- Cleaning: Keep the terminals from turning into a science experiment.
- Charging: Plug it in after use. Don’t let it sit dead.
For Lithium
- Charge it：That’s it. The internal computer handles everything else.
When Should You Upgrade to Lithium?
So when do you pull the trigger? It’s usually one of these three moments.
- Your lead-acid batteries are dead. Before you write a check for another set, stop. Do the math on the TCO for lithium. The answer is usually obvious.
- You’re tired of paying for labor. Add up the hours your guys spend on battery maintenance over a year. It’s not a small number.
- Your carts feel weak. If your site has hills or your crews haul heavy loads, the performance drop from lead-acid is a real problem. Lithium fixes that.
Conclusion
So, what’s in your E-Z-GO? If it’s lead-acid, it’s costing you money every single week in labor and lost productivity. Yes, lithium golf cart battery costs more upfront. Nobody denies that. But the return on that investment is massive. You get a battery that lasts longer, requires no maintenance, and just works better. You’re not buying a battery; you’re buying years of not having to deal with battery problems.
Thinking about making the switch for your fleet but want to see the numbers first? Contact us battery engineer team, and we can help you build a TCO analysis for your specific application to see exactly how quickly a lithium upgrade pays for itself.
FAQ
How much does it cost to replace E-Z-GO golf cart batteries?
A new set of 48V lead-acid batteries will run you $800 to $1,500. A full lithium conversion kit—battery and charger—is more like $2,000 to $3,500. But that lithium pack is built to last 3 to 5 times longer. You do the math.
Can I use a regular car battery in a golf cart?
No. A car battery is a sprinter; it gives one big push. A golf cart needs a marathon runner; a deep-cycle battery that gives steady power for hours. A car battery will die an immediate and painful death in a golf cart.
What if I mix old and new lead-acid batteries in my E-Z-GO?
Just don’t. The new batteries will get fried, and the old ones will just drag everything down. You’ll ruin the whole set. Always replace all of them at once.
What are the signs that my E-Z-GO batteries are going bad?
You’ll feel it. The cart won’t have the same range. It will feel weak, especially on hills. It’ll take longer and longer to charge. If you see the battery cases themselves swelling or bulging, they’re done for.