Lithium vs. Lead-Acid: Which Battery Really Powers Your Electric Golf Cart Further?

Meta description: Range, cycle life, weight, safety— we put lithium and lead-acid side by side so you can spec your next electric golf cart with confidence.

The myth of “amp-hours only”
Lead-acid packs are rated at 20 h; lithium at 2 h. Compare apples-to-apples and lithium delivers 92 % usable capacity versus 55 % for flooded batteries. Translation: a 100-Ah lithium battery gives your electric golf cart 37 % more real-world kilometres.

Weight math
Four 12-V 150-Ah lead bricks = 248 kg. A 48-V 150-Ah lithium module = 86 kg. Shedding 162 kg boosts hill-climb speed by 11 % and reduces turf compaction—a key selling point for superintendents.

Total cost of ownership
Lithium lasts 3 500 cycles (@80 % DoD). That’s 10 years of daily 18-hole loops. Over the same period you would buy 3 lead-acid sets, add water 1 040 times and lift 744 kg of scrap in and out of your electric golf cart. Pay 1.8× upfront, save 4.2× over decade.