In today’s review, we compare 6 vs 8 vs 12-volt golf cart batteries.
According to US Battery, golf carts demand 48-volts of battery power to operate. Since batteries come in 6, 8, and 12-volts, vehicle owners may think that purchasing four 12-volt units instead of eight 6-volt’s is cheaper because it has a lower upfront cost. But, is this the best approach?
There are multiple factors to consider before making your decision. And in this post, we are unpacking the 6 vs 8 vs 12-volt golf cart batteries. Our aim of determining which is the best option in the long term?
6 vs 8 vs 12-Volt Golf Cart Batteries Reviews
1. 6-Volt Battery Packs
Pros
- Lower depth of discharge
- Has the longest range at 56 amps
- Higher capacity
- Provides more charge cycles than the other voltage batteries
- Enjoys a longer lifespan
Cons
- Higher upfront cost than 8 and 12-volt units
- Need to install 8 packs into your golf cart, increasing the installation time
- Adds extra weight to your golf cart in comparison to 8-volt and 12-volt units.
Runtime at 56 Amps
One of the advantages of 6-volt batteries is their run time. In a study conducted by US Battery. They found that a 6-volt battery was able to run for 154 minutes at 56 amps. As a result, these batteries offer a longer range at this rate than the 8 and 12-volts provide.
Depth of Discharge
When it comes to the depth of discharge, it is like your golf score. The lower it is, the better. In their study, US Battery found that 6-volt batteries deliver the smallest depth of discharge percentage out of the three.
An average running time of80-minutes should leave you with a discharge of 35%.
Quantity of Batteries Needed For Your Cart
Considering that your golf cart likely requires 48-volts to run, it means that you need to budget for eight 6-volt batteries. This is why 6-volts carry a higher upfront cost and demand more time for installation.
Price Per Battery
Since you need eight 6-volt batteries to power your cart, these have a higher cost than the other units we are looking at. US Battery found that 6-volt batteries on average, are 1.23 times more expensive than a 12-volt battery.
Best 6-Volt Option for Golf Cart Batteries
2. 8-Volt Battery Packs
Pros
- Lower up-front cost than 6-volt batteries
- Lightens the weight of your golf cart compared to 6-volt batteries
- Less installation time required
- Moderate capacity
Cons
- It has a lower range at 56 amps than the 6-volt’s
- Depth of discharge at 80 minutes is higher than a 6-volt unit
- Adds extra weight to your golf cart in comparison to 8-volt and 12-volt units.
Runtime at 56 Amps
8-volt batteries fall in the middle when it comes to range, at 56 amps. The 8-volt batteries come up 36 minutes short of the 6-volt’s range at 56 amps, at an average of 128 minutes.
Depth of Discharge
8-volt batteries have a higher depth of discharge percentage than 6-volt units, which means they will require more charges during their lifespan. Resulting in a shorter lifespan than a 6-volt unit. On average, an 8-volt pack will discharge by 44% if running for 80 minutes.
Quantity of Batteries Needed For Your Cart
If your battery requires 48-volts to operate, then you will need to budget for six 8-volt packs. As a result, it means that you need to purchase fewer packs of 8-volt batteries compared to the 6-volt products. This reduces the installation time required to install all the units and adds less weight to your golf cart.
Price Per Battery
8-volt batteries carry a lower upfront cost than the 6-volt alternatives. But, they will require a bigger budget than if you were going for the 12-volt packs. The 8-volt units are .24 times more affordable than the cost of 6-volt batteries. However, they will set you back .13 more than the price of a 12-volt pack.
3. 12-Volt Battery Packs
Pros
- They offer the most affordable cost out of the three batteries
- Offers the least weight
- Fewer packs to install, resulting in the fastest installation time
- They add the least amount to your cart
Cons
- Delivers the lowest range at 56 amps between the three batteries.
- They have the highest depth of discharge
- Lowest capacity
Runtime at 56 Amps
Out of the three batteries we have examined, the 12-volt golf cart batteries provide the shortest running minutes at 56 amps. These batteries can only deliver 110 minutes at that rate. Which is 54 minutes less than the 6-volt batteries deliver.
Depth of Discharge
12-volt battery provides the least impressive depth of discharge between the other three battery types. The DOD at 80 minutes reaches 48%, which is almost at the recommended limit of deep-cycle flooded batteries. The DOD of these packs is 13% higher than the 6-volt units.
Based on the higher depth of discharge. It requires the 12-volt batteries to undergo more charge cycles in their lifetime. That will ultimately lead to a reduced life span in comparison to 6-volt batteries.
Quantity of Batteries Needed For Your Cart
The biggest pro of 12-volt batteries is that you need fewer packs to power your 48-volt golf carts. You will only need four 12-volt units to run your cart, which is half the quantity of the 6-volt batteries you need.
Fewer batteries translate to a lighter cart and less installation time compared to the 6 and 8-volt batteries.
Price Per Battery
The starting costs of a 12-volt battery are the lowest out of all the batteries, simply because you only need to purchase four compared to six or eight units. These products are .37 times more affordable than a 6-volt battery and .13 times lower than an 8-volt battery.
Best 12-Volt Option for Golf Cart Batteries
6 vs 8 vs 12-Volt Golf Cart Batteries – Runtime at 56 Amps
From our review of the 6 vs 8 vs 12-volt batteries, it was clear that the 6-volt packs offer superior runtime at 56 amps. The average runtime minutes at 56 amps was 164 for the 6-volt batteries. 8-volt batteries averaged 128 minutes of runtime. While the 12-volt options clocked 110 minutes of runtime.
Based on these results, it is the 6-volt batteries that dominate this category.
6 vs 8 vs 12-Volt Golf Cart Batteries – Depth of Discharge
Once again, it was the 6-volt batteries that reigned supreme in the DOD department. After 80 minutes of running, these batteries only discharge up to 35%. This figure is substantially lower than the 44% from the 8-volts and 48% of the 12-volt’s.
6 vs 8 vs 12-Volt Golf Cart Batteries – Quantity of Batteries Needed
If you opt for 12-volt batteries, it means you will need to install the least amount of packs in a cart, compared to the other two options. Fewer battery packs result in a lighter cart, which leads to less energy use upon acceleration. This also means you will enjoy an expedited installation process compared to the other batteries.
Therefore, there is no doubt that the 12-volt battery wins when it comes to the number of batteries needed to power your cart.
6 vs 8 vs 12-Volt Golf Cart Batteries – Price Per Battery
As was the case with the number of batteries. It is the 12-volt variety that takes this round. Because you need to install fewer packs, thus reducing your initial start-up cost. This is one of the main reasons why golf cart owners seriously consider this option.
Final Thoughts
In this post, we learned that 12-volt batteries have a lower upfront cost and less installation time. Whereas 6-volt batteries deliver the best range at 56 amps and have the lowest depth of discharge percentage.
The question you need to ask is. Am I after saving money, or am I after the best performing option? From the results of the 6 vs 8 vs 12-volt golf cart batteries study. It is the 6-volt battery that I would recommend, giving its level of performance.
If you are after a new battery that lasts longer and performs exceptionally. Check out more 6-volt golf cart batteries here. What voltage batteries do you use in your golf cart?
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Nick is the founder of GolfSpan and an avid golfer. He's not quite a pro but has over 15 years of experience playing and coaching golfers worldwide. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience when it comes to choosing the right golf gear and finding the right setup for your game.
