Author Archives: Don

America EV 1932 California Roadster

Not only do we offer a wide range of standard golf carts – both street legal and non street legal – for rental or purchase, Prime Golf Cars also owns our own golf cart company: America EV. In our main headquarters in Riviera Beach, America EV is run and operated by trained, experienced professionals, who use high-quality, completely new parts, and assemble them by hand from the ground up. America EV golf carts can reach speeds up to 24mph, which qualifies them for street legal certification. This means that they can become registered as low speed vehicles (LSVs), and can then be driven on roads with a posted speed limit of 35mph or less.

Today we feature the America EV 1932 California Roadster, an all-electric vehicle based on the design of the old car of the same name. These vehicles were built in our Riviera Beach location, with street legal features including headlights, tail lights, brake lights, turn signals, and seat belts. The frames of the California Roadster are made from rugged and corrosion proof all-aluminum I-beams, and each cart uses a system of Trojan batteries managed by the SEVCON computerized controller, capable of travelling for approximately 20 to 25 miles before needing to be charged.

These carts are available for rental, with rates starting at $295 for a single day rental of a street legal cart (Non street legal is $250 for a single day). Our rates page details the price of longer rental durations.

Standard colors of the California Roadster are Rosso red, black, arctic white, and yellow, but many carts have custom colored flames cascading down the hood, and also have the option of unique graphics and custom paint colors.

In order to charge the California Roadster, all you need to do is plug it into a standard wall outlet. These carts also feature an on-board 12-volt converter that gives an in-dash power source, where a laptop or cell phone can be plugged in and charged. Along with custom paint and graphics, the California Roadster can also be upgraded with features including but definitely not limited to: custom leather seats, a Bluetooth sound system, a backup camera, a color-matched roof, an underglow for under the cart body and/or under the roof, and a security system.

City roads, events, vacation destinations…wherever you may take the America EV 1932 California Roadster, it’s going to be a memorable trip, that much is certain. With a unique cart like one from America EV, you’ll be sure to stand out. If you’d like more information, you can read about the California Roadster and about its specifications on our website.

Prime Cart Parts | Golf Cart Parts for Sale | Golf Cart Accessories

Prime Golf Cars is proud to present our brand new golf cart parts and golf cart accessories website and store, Prime Cart Parts! In stock are a multitude of parts including accessories for Advanced EV and Evolution golf carts, along with replacement parts for popular brands such as EZGO, Club Car, and Yamaha, as well as many chargers for various brands of golf carts. We even have accessories for our very own specialty golf cart company America EV!

prime cart parts, golf cart parts for sale, golf cart accessories

Prime Cart Parts is a store specifically for golf cart parts, with several well-known brands in stock, along with universal golf cart accessories. Not only can you visit our website to see our full selection of parts, you can also visit our Google Places shop to see some of the golf carts we have for sale! Our Facebook page also features its own shop, along with updates on the golf carts we currently recommend for rental, and notifications about upcoming events that are popular for golf cart rentals. We also have a Pinterest, where you can view our accessories installed on some of our golf carts! This silver Advanced EV 4 passenger lifted golf cart in the picture below is sporting many of our accessories, including: a roof rack, front and upper LED bars, cupholder armrests on the back seats, custom two-tone seats, a front basket, and side nerf bars.

prime cart parts, golf cart parts for sale, golf cart accessories

Below is just a selection of some of our popular golf cart accessories, which you can click to go to Prime Cart Parts and read more about the part, or view our entire store. In order, the gallery below features Advanced EV and Icon parts in the first row, then America EV parts in the second row, EZGO, Club Car, and Yamaha parts in the third row, Evolution parts in the fourth row, and universal golf cart accessories in the fifth row. Visit Prime Cart Parts for a wide selection of accessories and replacement parts for golf carts!

Destination Recommendation: Las Olas

If you’re a fan of history, arts, and nature, Las Olas is a great place to visit. Las Olas is a commercial shopping district in the heart of Fort Lauderdale, and its main road, Las Olas Boulevard, is a two and a half mile stretch that takes you past multiple shops, bars, galleries, and more, ending at the beach. South Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard, the road where Las Olas Boulevard joins at the east end, travels along the beach and gives a great view of the long expanse of crashing waves. When it’s time to take a break from driving, you can park your golf cart just like a car – Fort Lauderdale’s beach has parallel parking, which is a lot easier when driving a golf cart – and have a scenic walk along the beach, while checking out the multitude of shops and restaurants down the drive.

A few miles down the beach road is Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, where you can take a walk through a forest pathway of South Floridian ecology, such as oak trees and mangroves, with small plaques scattered throughout to explain history of the park, and information on the plants and animals. Visitors can also rent a kayak or paddleboard for the long body of water running through the park, and there are multiple hiking and biking trails, along with picnic and camping areas. The beach is also directly across the road for when it’s time for a visit to the waves or a stargazing walk along the sands.

destination recommendation: las olas

Further down Las Olas Boulevard and into the Fort Lauderdale surrounding area, you can find a large selection of museums, perfect for anyone interested in history and arts. Right near the beginning of the boulevard is the historic Stranahan House museum, a house originally built as a trading post in 1901 and converted into a residence in 1906. It is the oldest surviving structure in Broward county, and hosts guided tours in the afternoon as well as various events/presentations throughout the year. Going further west, you can visit the NSU art museum, which features a significant collection of ceramics by Pablo Picasso, or check out the Fort Lauderdale History Center, a historical museum featuring photographs, displays, artifacts, and dioramas. Next to the Fort Lauderdale History Center is the New River Inn, one of the earliest hotels in Fort Lauderdale – built in 1905 -, with one room decorated to appear as a typical hotel room of 1908.

destination recommendation: las olas

If you’re coming to the area and are interested in learning the history of Fort Lauderdale, are a fan of the arts, or enjoy visiting the beach, Las Olas is a great place to check out this summer. As a commercial shopping district, Las Olas Boulevard is filled with all kinds of shops, restaurants, bars, and more, offering something for everyone.

The Benefits of Switching to a Lithium Battery

Prime Golf Cars is in the business of selling lithium golf cart batteries, most notably Roy Pow lithium batteries. With our turn-key replacement system, anyone can easily convert their golf cart from the standard lead-acid batteries to lithium batteries in less than an hour. Switching to lithium batteries comes with several benefits, and can take you and your golf cart to distances far beyond where it could go before, and then further.

the benefits of switching to a lithium battery

Why choose lithium?

Lithium batteries are slowly beginning to enter the mainstream world of golf carts – they are universal and can be installed in any golf cart. At Prime Golf Cars, not only do we offer Roy Pow lithium batteries, but for a nominal fee, we can install it and easily convert a lead-acid battery system in less than an hour. Roy Pow batteries also come with a 5-year warranty.

When buying a lithium battery, the price is higher than a regular lead-acid battery, but the benefits far outweigh the cost. For one, once that lithium battery is installed, it won’t need to be replaced for up to 10 years – up to 70% in expenditures can be saved over a 5 year period, since it won’t need to be continuously replaced like a lead-acid battery. Roy Pow lithium batteries have a quick charge time of approximately 2.5 hours, and can be rapidly charged to about 80% in only an hour. It takes up to five hours to charge the battery completely, and once fully charged, it will hold that charge for about 8 months when not in use. – they also have a life cycle of up to 3,500 charge cycles. The distance a golf cart can travel depends on the power level of the lithium battery, measured in amp hours (A/H):

56 A/H: 30-35 miles per charge.

105 A/H: 60-65 miles per charge.

160 A/H: 95-100 miles per charge.

Lithium batteries are also much better for the environment, since they aren’t made with harmful chemicals like lead-acid batteries and give off no dangerous fumes. Since they aren’t filled with water either, they don’t need to be maintained like lead-acid batteries, and are considered maintenance free. Roy Pow lithium batteries are much lighter as well – since multiple lead-acid batteries are used to power a cart, the weight increases vastly, but only one lithium battery is needed, and depending on the level of power, can weigh less than 100 pounds. This puts less stress on the golf cart, and allows it to carry more weight and reach higher speeds with less effort. A Roy Pow lithium battery also has multiple built-in safety measures, such as fire detection systems, water spray systems, flammable volatile monitoring and alarms, battery box warnings and protections, battery operating situation monitoring, and anti-collision, along with many other active safety systems. They have systems that prevent them from overcharging, over discharging, short-circuiting, overheating, and even have anti-theft systems and remote GPS tracking, with the ability to check the battery status remotely in real time.

To power a golf cart, 6 or 8 lead-acid batteries are needed. Only one lithium battery is needed to power this whole cart.

Why switch from lead-acid batteries?

Lead-acid batteries are the standard in almost every golf cart, most of the time being flooded lead-acid. These batteries need to be regularly filled with water, and also contain multiple chemicals and gases, including sulfuric acid and lead compounds. Not only are these batteries filled with a multitude of harmful chemicals, they have a possibility of giving off potentially dangerous fumes when plugged in to charge, and can even explode if something goes wrong during charging. The water inside also makes them very heavy, and with 6 or 8 in a golf cart, a lead-acid battery system can add over 300 pounds of weight to a golf cart. When plugging in a golf cart with lead-acid batteries, it’s very important to remember to lift up the seat to ventilate the fumes that may come off the battery, as buildup under the seat can be extremely dangerous. Cart owners with lead-acid battery carts must regularly perform maintenance on them, like waterfilling and terminal tightening, as well as cleaning potentially harmful acid deposits. Lead-acid batteries will also only last a few years at most, with a life cycle of about 500 charges. They need to be charged every day as well, and can take about 12 hours to fully charge. In short, lead-acid batteries do have their benefits and are easy to find, but don’t last long, and need to be replaced often – replacing them also comes with the cost of having them installed.

If you’re interested in switching from lead-acid to lithium batteries, or just want more information, you can visit our lithium battery site to view the various types of lithium batteries available and contact us using the phone number or contact form.

the benefits of switching to a lithium battery

Making A Golf Cart Street Legal

When I am here at Prime Golf Cars, one of the most frequently asked questions that we get is what is involved in “Making a golf cart street legal?” When you are ready to get your golf cart suited up for driving on the street, Prime Golf Cars has all the parts you need along with some super helpful tips to get you started in the right direction!

GOLF CART LIGHTS:

Installing golf cart lights is one of the key components in making your golf cart street legal. There are so many different options available for golf cart lighting out there. Generally, you’ll see 3 types of golf cart lighting:

  • Basic Lighting
  • Street Legal Lighting
  • Deluxe Lighting.

You’ll of course need to opt for one of the street legal packages that contain the parts listed below:

  • Headlights
  • Taillights/Brake Lights
  • Turn Signals
  • Horn

If you’re in need of a Street Legal light kit, we carry street legal light kits for all Club Car, EZ-GO & Yamaha golf carts! You can also purchase these parts individually thru us or on the internet. If you need help picking out the right light kit for your golf cart, see us here at Prime Golf Cars and we will help you to find the right light kit for your application. If you have any other questions about light kits in general, contact us for more information.

GOLF CART WINDSHIELDS:

Because you’ll be driving on the local streets along with full-size vehicles, you’ll want to install a durable, shatter resistant windshield that will provide a buffer between you and anything that may get kicked up (stones, dust, etc.) by a passing car, truck or SUV. Golf cart windshields generally come in clear and tinted options:

  • Clear Shatter Resistant Acrylic Windshield
  • Tinted Shatter Resistant Acrylic Windshield

GOLF CART MIRRORS:

Once you’ve selected a street legal light kit and have the proper lighting/indicators and a windshield, the next thing you’ll need is rear view / driver/passenger side mirrors. You will always want to make sure you have clear view of your surroundings while driving on the street. The most popular and required mirrors for on-street driving are:

  • Rear View Mirror
  • Driver/Passenger-Side Mirrors

GOLF CART SAFETY:

Safety first! Now that you’ve got all of the necessary lights, mirrors and windshields, you’ll need just a few more things and you’ll be ready to hit the road!

  • Seat Belts For ALL Drivers And Passengers: This is a given. You definitely need to make sure that everyone is buckled up! 

  • Speedometer: Sometimes those beautiful, sunny days get us itchin’ to go…. Go a little too fast sometimes! It’s so important to always obey the posted speed limits, in addition to all of the rules of the road.

  • Slow Moving Vehicle Sign: Many local ordinances require you to to have a “Slow Moving Vehicle” sign while out on the road. While it’s not ALWAYS required, we always recommend it.

These are some of the things which are making a golf cart street legal.

LOCAL GOLF CART LAWS:

CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS. The laws on this topic vary not only from state to state, but also by municipality/city. For example, in some cities in Florida, Georgia, Texas and California there are entire communities that drive their golf carts on the street. ALWAYS check with your local municipality to make sure it’s okay to drive a golf cart on the street. Even with the proper lighting/indicators and accessories, the laws and rules are constantly changing, so the Cardinal Rule is to always CHECK FIRST before driving your golf cart on the street. Better to be safe than sorry!

Once you’re equipped with all of the parts and pieces listed above, you’ll be ready to roll! If you have any other questions about making a golf cart street legal,  we are here to help.