FAQs about Electric Caddies with Lithium-Ion Batteries I’ve got an electric caddy with an SLA. Can I just pop a Li-Ion battery in?Unless
the manufacturer provides a retro-fit kit, significant modifications
may be needed to your electric caddy. If the voltage and amp-hour
capacity of the SLA and Li-Ion battery are the same, you may plug the
Li-Ion in directly. However, you may need to alter the battery mount,
charger, and cable connecters, in order to account for the Li-Ion’s
design. In addition you may want to look into your warranty policy. If
it is still in effect alterations to the caddy may void some or all of
the warranty. If you are interested in retrofitting your caddy
see this page for the resources you need.
Do Electric Golf Caddy manufacturers market Li-Ion Retro-fit Kits?One
manufacturer does precisely that. Bat Caddy sells a kit that will fit
any of their electric caddies. It costs approximately $450 and can be
purchased here.
What additional costs will I incur with a Li-Ion Battery?The
additional costs associated with any battery are directly connected to
life-cycle. This term refers to just how long the battery lasts before
having to be replaced. If the Li-Ion battery costs three times more than
the SLA, the SLA battery is more cost effective. However, when the
Li-Ion battery is only two times more than the SLA battery, the Li-Ion
is more cost effective.
Today the SLA battery will cost you less in
the long run than the Li-Ion battery. However, as the Li-Ion technology
improves and the initial price decreases, it is expected that the Li-Ion
battery will ultimately become the most cost effective battery on the
market.
Summary
There are
lots of advantages to the Lithium-ion battery for your electric golf
caddy. They are smaller, lighter, and hold a charge longer than the SLA
battery. Although the SLA battery still has lower life-cycle costs than
the Li-Ion battery, new technology is rapidly advancing causing the
Li-Ion battery to become the ideal electric golf caddy battery on the
market. If you are interested in learning more about either type battery or
for purchasing click here.
