“The vehicle gets charged faster at night and takes less power, which saves us more

money— that’s good!”— Rob Heslar,

Director of Golf at Tijeras Creek Golf Club

Tijeras Creek Golf Club is open for business 365 days. Last year, 73,000 rounds of golf were played on the award-winning course. Located in mountainous Ranchero Santa Margarita, Tijeras Creek Golf Club’s brutal terrain is a challenge for more than the golfers who come to play. Vehicles in the current lead-acid golf vehicle fleet are rotated in and out of service daily to allow for ample recharge time.

On a sunny California fall day, E-Z-GO RXV® ELiTE Series lithium golf cars were delivered to the course. While the instructions for vehicle maintenance were minimal, skepticism was high. But not for long.

“It’s pretty amazing what E-Z-GO has come across,” said Rob Heslar, director of golf at Tijeras Creek Golf Club. “We have been testing these vehicles for five months. From day one, the ELiTE Series vehicles have been going around our golf course anywhere from 36 to 54 holes a day, and during that time frame, we aren’t having to recharge them.”

How is this possible? E-Z-GO partnered with Samsung SDI to develop these efficient golf vehicles. ELiTE Series vehicles are activated by Samsung SDI lithium technology. Hundreds of

Samsung lithium cells are loaded into a single battery pack which is controlled by an advanced Battery Management System that monitors efficiency, temperature, state of charge and the health of the batteries.

As a result of this advanced lithium technology, ELiTE Series vehicles are 59 percent* more efficient than Club Car and 52 percent* more efficient than Yamaha. For Heslar, the difference between traditional lead acid batteries and ELiTE Series lithium batteries is night and day.

“It’s all win-win,” said Heslar. “The vehicle gets charged faster at night and takes less power, which saves us more money—that’s good!”

Another “win”—the five-year unlimited amp-hour warranty. This means courses won’t stress over any additional costs from maintenance and replacing aging batteries after a designated mileage mark.

ELiTE Series vehicles also deliver less turf compaction and damage. The lithium batteries in ELiTE Series are significantly lighter than traditional lead acid batteries, allowing the light-weight vehicle to easily climb and handle hills efficiently.

Benefits from E-Z-GO’s ELiTE Series extend beyond unlimited amp time. The game-changing lithium vehicles require no battery maintenance. Lithium batteries don’t require watering, terminal post checkups and cleaning like lead acid batteries do.

“Right now, we look at each lead-acid-powered golf car at least once a month. From preventive maintenance to checking the battery water levels and topping them off, or inspecting the connectors to make sure the acid isn’t burning through, maintenance takes

time which costs money,” explained Heslar. “So far, E-Z-GO hasn’t come out to service the lithium vehicles and I don’t see a need for them to service them.”

For Heslar, lithium-powered golf vehicles mean long-term reassurance that a player won’t be stranded during a round of golf because ELiTE Series delivers consistent performance.

“It doesn’t surprise me that E-Z-GO launched this. They are the innovators, and they’ve found something special. If they can take away that constant fear of failure, the ‘when is this car going to die on the course’, that’s probably the biggest thing for golf course directors,” said Heslar. “There’s a confidence factor in the ELiTE Series lithium car—that you’re putting your customers in a golf vehicle that you feel confident in and that they are going to have an enjoyable time. Your players aren’t going to worry about the ride that they’re in, but concentrate on their golf game.”

ELiTE models available in 2017:

RXV ELiTE FREEDOM® RXV ELiTE FREEDOM RXV 2+2 ELiTE TXT® ELiTE FREEDOM TXT ELiTE FREEDOM TXT 2+2 ELiTE

Perhaps the worst moment in any golf director’s day is a phone call from a golfer on the course complaining that the golf car assigned to them is dead. Instantly, caddies rush to aid the frustrated golfers, while strategic plans are enacted to retrieve the lifeless vehicle without harm to the course or further disruption to other players. And no matter how new a golf vehicle fleet is, it happens. Which is why Tijeras Creek Golf Club was excited to test new lithium-powered E-Z-GO® golf cars that promise more efficiency and zero battery maintenance.

“From day one, the ELiTE Series vehicles have been

going around our golf course anywhere from

36 to 54 holes a day, and during that time frame,

we aren’t having to recharge them.”

* Externally endorsed testing. Results determined comparing the RXV vs. the Precedent and Drive AC models. Results vary according to course terrain and conditions.

©2017 Textron Specialized Vehicles Inc. All rights reserved.

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Lithium-Powered Cars are Changing GolfUnlimited Amp-Hour Warranty and Zero Battery

Maintenance Keeps Cars on the Course