Club Car have launched the Xcelerator kit to increase the top speed of their gas carts from 15mph to 19mph

One of the main problems that gas golf cart owners face when using their carts to drive on the roads in their gated, retirement and rural communities is that they don’t have enough performance.

A cart designed for use on a golf course has its top speed limited to 15mph by the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) directives. So when they are used away from the course many find their performance wanting.

Club Car have come to the rescue with their new Xcelerator speed kit. The Xcelerator kit for Club Car golf carts can be fitted on new or existing carts and gives the gas cart a increased top speed of 19mph. The Xcelerator kit, manufactured by Club Car, can be installed at the factory on a new cart or on your cart by your nearest Club Car dealer. The great thing about this kit is that it will not void your cart's warranty, which will be a relief for those with newer carts.

"To meet the needs of these customers, Club Car has launched a new 19-mph upgrade known as the Xcelerator for its gasoline golf cars, creating the only factory-authorized upgrade for Club Car vehicles on the market," said Mary A. Sicard, Club Car's consumer marketing manager. "These kits allow users to purchase new 19-mph vehicles or affordably upgrade their vehicles, without sacrificing performance"

Xcelerator kits can be used on all new and most used Club Car gas golf carts, including all two or four passenger carts. The kit comes with all the parts needed for the speed increase, including a drive clutch, driven clutch, CVT belt, accelerator cable and associated hardware.

As they are engineered by Club Car for their own carts they will be easy to fit and won't affect any other aspect of your carts performance. When specified with a new cart the Xcelerator option is $350 and as a dealer fitted kit to your existing cart it will set you back $584.

Blend into the scenery with this electric camo golf cart

This week we have an electric golf cart that’s perfect to blend into the scenery during the hunting season. A stock golf cart just won’t cut it off-road which is why this one has been fitted with a 2″ lift kit and big chunky tires to deal with the slippery conditions that you’ll encounter when tracking your pray.

A rear flip seat means you can take a couple extra buddies on your trip and the cart is fitted with headlights for those early morning or late evening drives.

The seller doesn't say what type of cart it is, but it looks like an E-Z-Go ST Custom to us. The ST Custom is a great cart that's ideal for use in your neighborhood, farm property or ranch.

The only downside we can see with this cart is that it is electric powered which is less than ideal for off-road hunting trips. The batteries will only have a limited range which will restrict has far you can get into the bush on your trip. A gas golf cart would give a longer range and more torque for carrying 4 passengers and their gear over difficult terrain. This might explain why the seller would consider swapping for a Polaris Ranger, with its four wheel drive and powerful gas engine.

But if you need a lifted cart for driving around your large ranch property or farm then the camo cart would fit the bill. If the terrain gets a bit too tough you can always fit a higher lift kit and get a more powerful electric motor.

The Craigslist ad spiel is reproduced below, or go here for the original.

ELECTRIC CAMOUFLAGE GOLF CART - $4800 (BAYTOWN TEXAS)

2009 golf cart, camouflage, 2in lift, big tires looks and runs great. asking $4800.00 or, trade for Polaris used RANGER. if interested email me a pic of what you got and will go from there.

This vintage Turf Rider from the 60's has been completely restored

Retro is in. The 60′s was a cool decade, just watch Mad Men. Auto design classics such as the Mustang, Camaro or Charger are now more popular than ever. This could be your opportunity to get the golf cart equivalent. What we have here is a 1964 vintage Turf Rider MK IV electric golf cart fully restored and subtly customized.

There aren’t many of these left and it’s a rare to find one in such good condition these days. The Turf Rider IV was produced by Ride Around Manufacturing of Hawthorne, California during the 60′s. They also made a Turf Rider model, VI, VII, and a Del Mar IV and V, and Catalina model as well as an stretched four passenger version called the Newporter.

This particular cart was used to promote the owners business and we're sure it got a lot of admiring looks. Resplendent in its lime green paintwork, two tone seat covering and white golf cart canopy this cart will look great driving around any golf course.

To make sure it goes as good as it looks the cart has new Trojan batteries and fresh tires. Most golf carts in the 60's were 3-wheeled affairs with tiller steering but this one has a regular steering wheel.

If you're looking for a unique used golf cart then this retro-ride is bound to hit the spot. You could look as cool as Don Draper at your local links with this cart.

It's offered on eBay with a "Buy It Now" price of $4,495.00, you can make the seller an offer or offer something else in exchange.

Check the eBay Listing for more pics, ad text is reproduced below:

1964 Vintage Turf Rider 4 Delux Electric Golf Cart,Very Unique! Buy It Now for $4,495.00

Rare! one of a kind custom 1964 Turf Rider 4 Delux Version Vintage Electric Golf cart, fully restored,original motorola radio restored to factory specs yes! it works,very cool, I use it tp promote my company, brand new batteries 3 months old, new tires etc.I don't use it to much now and it's just collecting dust in my warehouse,buyer must pick up I will not deliver, Charger is included, all lights work fine, signal lights work but not flashing, never looked because I never use them. Will consider some trades of what have you? Asking $4495.00 OBO.

The Allianz Championship will feature solar-powered golf carts, a PGA event first

In an effort to be the most energy efficient PGA golf tournament the 2012 Allianz Championship will feature solar-powered golf carts. The tournament has partnered with Golf Cart Solar, based in Florida, to provide several solar golf carts during the tournament.

This PGA Champions Tour event has set itself the lofty goal of becoming one of the greenest golf tournaments in North America. The 2012 Allianz Championship is held February 6-12 at the Broken Sound golf club in Palm Beach County, Florida which is part of a golf-course resort community that is no doubt familiar with golf carts.

The tournament organizers have lofty "green" environmental aims that include zero waste, tournament facilities 100% powered by renewable energy and a 30% reduction in carbon footprint. The use of solar golf carts will go some way in fulfilling the renewable energy and carbon footprint aims.

"The technology and price point was just too compelling to ignore." said Ryan Dillon Tournament Director. "Every course wants solar carts, and we're proud to be the first in the United States to showcase this product on our course during the tournament because it fits our goal of being THE green golf tournament on the Champions Tour. Needless to say, we're pretty excited."

Golf Cart Solar claims to reduce golf cart battery charging costs by 20 percent, as well as extending their range and usable life. This in turn would reduce PGA events' energy charging costs by 20 percent, and it would lower the carbon footprint of running the electric golf carts.

The PGA Champions Tour does permit players to use a cart instead of walking, but the solar carts will most probably be used by officials and tournament staff. The use of solar panel charging on tournament golf carts will be the first real-world trial for the technology by the PGA Tour. And if successful will likely be rolled out for use on other Champions Tour and regular PGA Tour events in future.

We'll be keeping an eye out during the TV coverage to see if we can spot any of the solar golf carts.

Allianz Championship February 6-12 2012

This Hummer custom golf cart can be yours for $38,000. A lot of money, for a lot of cart.

If you like your SUV’s big and imposing then this might be the custom golf cart for you. This week’s “Used Golf Cart of the Week” was created by “Bad Ass Golf” who are known in the industry for creating some of the wildest custom carts around.

Created for the HBO show “Hard Knocks” a few years ago this custom electric golf cart has been displayed at the SEMA auto show in Las Vegas. It started out as an 48V electric golf cart before being fitted with a Hummer golf cart body.

Since then it has been extensively upgraded with a custom paint job, 20 inch chrome rims, DVD system with multiple LCD screens in the visors.

The ad says this celebrity used golf cart was created for a 14 year old kid in the entertainment business. If you're not allowed to drive the real thing, then a custom cart will have to do.

What's great about this cart is you'll be able to intimidate other road users as it seems to be street legal, as it's fitted with DOT tires, mirrors, turn signals/lights, and seat belts. So if you live in a private community or if your town allows street legal golf carts, and you need a ride that screams "BLING" then this cart is for you.

This level of custom doesn't come cheap and the Hummer cart will set you back a cool $38,000, but that's probably a lot less than it originally cost to build. Check out the ad for more pics at the Bad Ass Golf Carts site here.

Everyone hates slow play during a round of golf but this Hyundai Rally “golf cart” will certainly speed things up. You’ll probably be able to outrun the ball to wherever it lands after each drive.

This video shows Rhys Millen hooning around a golf course during a "round" of golf. E-Z-Go-in' it aint! Rhys is a US rally driver and has raced this Hyundai Veloster Rally in the US Rallycross Championship. Under the hood sits a 500 horsepower, 600 lb-ft of torque 2-liter turbo four cylinder motor. It's 4-wheel drive system is the same one that Hyundai used when it ran a factory World Rally Championship (WRC) team from 2000-2003.

Hyundai sponsor the US PGA Tour's opening event of the 2012 season, the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii won by Steve Stricker earlier this month.

With a golf cart like this, there's no problem if you drive it into the rough.

The E-Z-Go Exceed Hybrid gas generator extends their electric cart range by up to 150miles

Late last year E-Z-Go launched their Exceed Hybrid Technology™ as an option for factory ordered electric golf carts. This gas generator hybrid system will be shortly available as a dealer installed kit for any Freedom RXV golf cart or 2Five street-legal vehicle.

The Exceed Hybrid is a supplemental 48V gas generator power source for E-Z-GO electric carts that can extend the travel range of their electric carts by up to 150 miles on a single charge. The 6hp, 205cc gas powered generator recharges the golf cart batteries on the fly allowing the cart to have a extended range on a single battery charge. E-Z-Go are keen to add that the gas generator is environmentally friendly with low emissions.

As an added bonus a standard 120-volt electrical outlet is mounted in the carts' dash so you can power your phone, golf GPS, radio or any other electrical device. The Exceed system kicks out an impressive 400watts of power so you can plug a lot of stuff into your cart.

The Exceed system itself sits in the vehicle's rear bagwell and is covered by a protective molding which gives the whole thing a factory look. We're not sure about how your golf bags will fit after the Exceed generator is installed, as they will sit a lot higher making grabbing a club a bit more of a challenge. But we're thinking this range extending hybrid system will be more suited to commercial industry and street-legal carts that are hampered by the limited range of standard electric carts.

In fact, in the video below the street legal carts fitted with the Exceed system look great with the generator hidden by a rear facing seat or a cargo box.

E-Z-Go claim that an Exceed-equipped 2Five cart can get 150 miles between charging, but this will vary depending on the cart's load, weather conditions, the terrain, and any optional equipment installed. Read that as; the heavier the cargo and the hillier the terrain, the less the range. For more info on the E-Z Go Exceed system go here.

E-Z-Go is to offer solar panel charging from PowerFilmSolar

E-Z-Go has just announced that they are to offer golf cart solar panel charging on several of their cart models. The solar panels are provided by PowerFilm, Inc and are a thin, flexible panel type that has been specially engineered for E-Z-Go carts.

We're a fan of golf cart solar panels as they offer a lot of long term benefits for a relatively small initial outlay. As we predicted last year it's not been long before a major cart manufacturer has started to offer solar charging on its models.

EZ-Go is offering this solar charging option on the E-Z-GO RXV® and TXT® electric fleet golf cars, and Freedom® RXV and Freedom TXT electric cars. At the time of writing E-Z-Go have not announced any pricing for the solar panel option.

"E-Z-GO's partnership with PowerFilm aligns with our commitment to environmental excellence," said E-Z-GO's president Kevin Holleran. "We are proud to offer PowerFilm as a quality solar solution to our dealers and customers seeking greener, more carbon-neutral options for powering their fleet and personal electric cars."

The PowerFilm Solar Panel is a lightweight, thin and completely flexible solar panel that can be stuck to any surface. For E-Z-Go they have specially designed a snap-top system which allows for easy installation without requiring cart canopy replacement or structural reinforcement. This makes it easy to retro-fit their solar panel to any golf cart and you can buy an aftermarket panel for your own cart direct from one of Powerfilm's authorized resellers around the country.

The main benefit of golf cart solar panels is that owners can reduce energy costs (charging costs) by as much as 20 percent annually, assuming there is a good deal of sunny weather where you live. From PowerFilm's own figures, in typical use a golf cart battery is discharged to twenty percent of capacity (80% discharge). In this usage, batteries will need replacement after 520 charge cycles or 1 3/8 years. With the use of a PowerFilm solar panel the depth of discharge is reduced to no lower than 65%. This extends battery lifetime to 730 charge cycles, a gain of almost 69%. In most cases, through typical cart use, the battery discharge will be in the 30-50%, equaling a gain of more than double in battery life.

This improved battery performance is due to the solar panel constantly charging the cart's battery when the vehicle is exposed to sunlight, and also decreasing the depth of discharge during normal use. Less discharge means longer drive time for the cart, increased driving range and extends the golf cart battery lifetime.

There are quite a few golf cart solar panel kits available from other panel manufacturers, some of which are the "thin film" type. But this is the first time a cart manufacturer has offered solar panels as a charging option for its electric golf carts. We foresee that the other main cart manufacturers will shortly follow.

Here's a short video showing Powerfilm's golf carts in action.

Golf cart parking signs are a fun addition for your driveway or garage, but they are also important for safety on the course

Besides the actual golf, one of the fun aspects of visiting a course is to drive in a golf cart. But just like on the highways there needs to be clear instructions for cart users to help them navigate the cart paths. Golf cart signs are important to keep golf courses and clubhouses organized with clear directions for cart users. Signs are used on golf courses to mark driving ranges, parking lots, and special areas for parking golf carts.

We've all seen these signs around the golf course to help drivers avoid hazards and to prevent them driving on greens and ground under repair areas. Signs are also used to designate directions of travel, show members only areas and reserved parking signs for the head pro and club managers.

Golf cart signs can also be used outside the golf course wherever there is a need to designate parking spots for street legal carts. These signs are used in private residential communities, store parking lots and at private homes where carts are used.

Cart signs are also a fun item to display in your garage, driveway or carport to show everyone where to park. Check out these cart signs that are available from the MyParkingSign® website.

The MyParkingSign golf cart sign website

A custom EZ-Go 4-seater Lifted Golf Cart painted Baby Blue is for Sale on eBay

In the first of a new weekly feature, “Used Golf Cart of the Week” we trawl the internet to bring you a golf cart that demands closer attention from those who are looking to buy a golf cart for sale.

Tired of paying for expensive gas? Need to trade in your gas golf cart as its engine is on its last legs? If you've answered yes to either of those questions then it might be time for you to trade in you beater gas cart for a shiny new custom electric cart.

This particular example is a lovely baby blue EZ-Go electric cart with some nice custom features that will definitely get admiring looks on the course. Race car inspired white stripes on the hood build the sporty theme and they are continued through to the design of the seat material. Completing the interior touches are an aluminum plate floor, hi-fi stereo and speakers and a chrome steering wheel.

A 6" lift kit and 14" chrome rims give the cart a sporty look and will improve the handling over rough terrain. New Trojan batteries (with warranty) will make it both reliable and powerful. It will go as good as it looks!

With a headlight and tail light kit and mirrors this cart is well on its way to being street legal. Just fit a windshield and wiper and seat belts and she'll be good to cruise down to your local coffee shop.

It's offered at an "Buy It Now" price of $5,895.00, but you can chance your arm and make the seller an offer which he can't refuse!

The eBay Listing is reproduced below:

2008 EZ-GO ELECTRIC ST FRONT! Buy It Now for $5,895.00

2011 NEW TROJAN BATTERIES W/ ONE YEAR WARRANTY

SPECS:

CUSTOM PAINTED BABY BLUE & WHITE STRIPED BODY

NEW BABY BLUE & WHITE SEATS

NEW Head Lights-Taillights

NEW 6 " Lift Kit!

14" Upgraded CUSTOM Rims!

23x11x14 Tires!

Stainless Steel Brush Guard

Aluminum Rocker Panels

Aluminum Kick Plate

Aluminum Front Shield

Diamond Plate Floor Mat

Chrome Shifter

Chrome & Black Steering Wheel

Chrome Steering Column

Chrome Cupholder Accent Rings

Radio CD MP3 Player with 2 Speakers

Custom Black Dash with Locking Gloveboxes

State of Charge Meter

Side Mirrors

Factory Custom White Top

Rear Folding Seat Kit!