How fast does a golf cart go? Top speeds, model by model

Short answer: The golf carts we sell are rated between 15 and 25 mph, with a median of 19 mph. 14 are rated 25 mph as sold, all electric; 5 more reach 25 mph only with the maker’s low-speed-vehicle package. Gas and dual-power carts in our line top out at 19 mph. Under Florida law a golf cart is a vehicle not capable of exceeding 20 mph; faster carts are low-speed vehicles, with their own equipment and registration rules.

How fast do the golf carts we sell go?

Across the 46 carts that publish a top speed, the spread looks like this:

• 15 mph or less: 2 carts
• 16 to 19 mph: 27 carts
• 20 to 24 mph: 3 carts
• 25 mph: 14 carts

A rated top speed is the maker’s figure on flat, paved ground. It is usually a governed limit set in the controller, not what the motor could do unrestricted.

What is the fastest golf cart we sell?

The fastest carts we list are rated 25 mph as sold: Denago Nomad XL (25 mph, $7,995), Advanced EV Advent 2 (25 mph, $8,299), Advanced EV Advent 4 (25 mph, $9,399), Denago Rover XL (25 mph, $9,995), Denago Rover XXL (25 mph, $11,995), ICON i20 (25 mph, $11,999), MadJax X Series (25 mph, $12,495), ICON i40 (25 mph, $12,999), Kandi Kruiser 6Pro (25 mph, $13,999), ICON i40L (25 mph, $13,999), ICON i60 (25 mph, $14,999), Epic E40FX (25 mph, $14,999), ICON i60L (25 mph, $15,999), Club Car CRU (25 mph, $28,156). Another 5 reach 25 mph with the maker’s LSV package: Evolution Carrier 6 Plus, Evolution Classic 2 Plus, Evolution Forester 6 Plus, Evolution Forester 4 Plus, Evolution Classic 4 Plus. Every one, with live price, stock and condition, is on our fast golf carts page.

Are gas golf carts faster than electric?

Not in our line. Gas-only carts are rated 19 mph and carts offered as either electric or gas 15 to 19 mph; every cart rated 25 mph as sold is electric. Gas earns its place on long working days and quick refueling, not speed. Our electric or gas comparison covers the rest of that trade.

Why are golf carts limited to about 20 mph?

Because the law defines them that way. Florida Statute 320.01 describes a golf cart as a vehicle not capable of exceeding 20 miles per hour. A cart that goes faster is treated as a low-speed vehicle (LSV): the federal definition in 49 CFR 571.3 covers four-wheeled vehicles that reach more than 20 and not more than 25 mph on a paved level surface, weighing under 3,000 lb fully loaded. An LSV needs lights, mirrors, seat belts, a windshield and a VIN, and in Florida it is titled, registered and insured. Several carts in this guide are rated 25 mph without an LSV rating in their record; whether a particular unit can be titled as an LSV depends on the equipment it ships with and its paperwork, so ask us before you buy and we will confirm it in writing. Our street-legal golf carts page lists the carts whose record carries an LSV rating, and our Florida golf cart laws guide covers age, titles and where carts may drive.

What slows a golf cart down?

Weight and grade first: a full load of passengers or cargo and any hill both pull speed below the rated figure. Tire size and pressure change it too; larger tires alter the effective gearing, which our lift kit guide explains. On lead-acid carts, speed also falls as the pack discharges; lithium holds its voltage more evenly until it is nearly empty.

Can you make a golf cart faster?

Controller changes, motors and larger tires can raise speed, but past 20 mph the vehicle stops being a golf cart in legal terms, and modifications can affect the manufacturer’s warranty. If you need 25 mph, the straightforward route is a cart built and rated for it, or the maker’s own LSV package.

Top speed of every golf cart we sell

Figures are the manufacturers’, read from each product record when this page was last updated.

Related: how to make a golf cart faster, as the makers allow it, what a low-speed vehicle is and where you can drive a golf cart on the road.