Hey everyone, welcome back! About five years ago, I built this solar-powered golf cart, and I’ve been loving it ever since. It’s equipped with two 100W, 12-volt solar panels that have done an amazing job keeping up with my daily chores around the property. For years, I ran it on the original lead-acid batteries, but they’ve finally reached the end of their life. So, I figured this was the perfect chance to upgrade to something better—inexpensive lithium batteries! In this video, I’ll walk you through the upgrade process, share the links to everything I used—like the solar panels, charge controller, and those new lithium batteries—and show you how this switch turned my golf cart into a mobile solar generator with a 120V AC power inverter.
Are Lithium Batteries Better for an Electric Golf Cart?
First, let’s talk about why I made the switch. The cart originally had six lead-acid batteries, and honestly, I didn’t do the best job maintaining them. These weren’t maintenance-free—you have to check the water levels periodically, unscrew the caps, and top them up with distilled water. I slacked on that, and most of them ran bone-dry. I refilled them, but I’d always assumed the acid stayed in there and you just added water. Turns out, that’s not quite right—once they dry out, the acid balance gets messed up. Then winter hit, and as you can see, several of the cases split open because they froze solid. Lesson learned!
The new batteries are a fraction of the weight. Four of them at 22lbs each is 88lbs total, where as the old lead acid batteries needed 6 of them (8 volt batteries instead of 12v) and were 68lbs each for a whopping 408lbs. Thats like two more grown adults always riding around in your golf cart. If you live in hilly terrain like I do, you now how much more effort two additional adults puts on a cart when climbing a hill.
Upgrading a Golf Cart from Lead Acid to LifePo4 Lithium Batteries
Add a flat tire to the mix, and this cart was begging for some TLC. So, I grabbed the tractor, towed it up to the garage, and got to work.
Alright, here’s the plan of attack: replace the batteries first, fix that tire, clean things up, and install a new charge controller tailored for lithium.
“Now, I’ve missed this golf cart more than I expected. I got a gas-powered side-by-side a while back, thinking it’d replace the cart entirely. And sure, it’s great for long rides, higher speeds, or cruising trails with friends. But for yard work—weed-eating, picking up trash, or just hopping around the property—this electric cart is unbeatable. No engine to start, no noise, just jump in, hit the pedal, and go. The solar power makes it even sweeter—free energy from the sun!
FLYPOWER 12v 100Ah LifePo4 Battery
I snagged these affordable ones off Amazon https://amzn.to/4c9B96K and they’re a game-changer. Each battery comes with its own charger, a simple AC adapter pumping out 14.6 volts at 7 amps with a proprietary connector. Out of the box, they’re super lightweight—I grabbed my wife’s bathroom scale to check. The old lead-acid batteries weighed 68 pounds each. Six of those? That’s 408 pounds total! These lithium ones are just 22 pounds each, and I’m using four, so that’s only 88 pounds. That’s like shedding 320 pounds of passengers—talk about a weight reduction! The cart feels peppier already.”
“These batteries come in two styles: lug terminals, which need a wrench, or traditional automotive posts. I went with the lugs—make sure you pick the right version when ordering! They’ve also got some cool features: a USB port for charging phones, a power button to toggle it, and a built-in Battery Management System (BMS). The BMS is huge—it prevents overcharging, handles temperature protection, and caps discharge current. That means I don’t have to worry as much about the solar setup frying them—they’re basically plug-and-play, even with a car alternator if I wanted.”
“I plugged all four into their chargers right out of the box. Voltages were pretty consistent—around 12.8 to 13 volts—and they’ve got a red light and a quiet fan in the adapter while charging. So far, so good!”
Genasun GVB-8-Li-54.2V-WP, 8 A (Input) 350 W Solar Panel, Waterproof Voltage Boosting MPPT Solar Charge Controller
Now, since this is a 48-volt golf cart, we need a charge controller to boost the voltage from the panels. My two 100W panels are wired in series for 24 volts nominal—about 38 volts max in real-world conditions at 5.29 amps. The controller bumps that up to nearly 60 volts to charge the 48-volt lithium bank. I upgraded to a new controller, https://amzn.to/4lfMeY2, because my old one wasn’t waterproof and had a fan that sucked in dust—not ideal for outdoor use. This new one’s fanless, with just an opening for the terminals. I linked the fully waterproof version above for if you’re starting fresh.”
“I got the lead-acid version initially, but they make one for lithium too. The charge voltages are close—both max out at 43 volts for panel input—so mine works fine, especially since the BMS in the batteries handles the fine-tuning. If you’re going lithium from the jump, grab the lithium-specific model for peace of mind. For wiring, series is the way to go here. Parallel would double the current to 10.6 amps, blowing past the controller’s 8-10 amp fuse rating. Series keeps us at 38 volts, safely under the 43-volt limit.”
Converting from 6 8-volt Lead Acid Batteries to 4 12-volt Lithium Batteries (Life4Po)
Time to yank those old batteries. Always unhook the negative cable first—reduces the chance of shorting anything out. Out go the six 68-pound bricks, in go the four 22-pound lithium beauties. Wiring them in series gets me to 48 volts, and the weight savings alone make this worth it. The cart’s lighter, more efficient, and ready for the next step.
Final Thoughts on the Upgraded Solar Golf Cart
After a few weeks of testing, I’m thrilled. The batteries recharge fast with the panels—faster than the lead-acids ever did—and the lighter weight makes it feel snappier. Next up, I’m adding a 120V AC inverter—cheap and easy to wire into this 48-volt bank. That’ll turn this cart into a mobile solar generator, perfect for powering tools or even small appliances on the go. I’ll update the description with how that goes once it’s installed.
“One thing I’ve noticed: the ride’s still bumpy. This is a 2001 Yamaha G19, and I think the shocks are shot. We run it over rough fields, so I’d love your suggestions in the comments—any affordable suspension upgrades you’d recommend?
Overall, this lithium upgrade was a total win—inexpensive, lightweight, and powerful. If you enjoyed this, subscribe for more projects, and check out the amazon links if you want to build a similar one: Solar Panels, Waterproof MPPT Solar Charge Controller, 12v 100Ah LifePo4 Battery
I’ll keep you posted on how it holds up, so stay tuned. See you next time!