Ask The Editors: Is There a Best Charger for a Club Car?
Your options are plentiful.
The “best” in this case is a tough call because like with everything, it really comes back to which is the best for your given budget. In the case of the 36 volt battery charger with Club Car interface, you are going to find off-brand units on eBay for as cheap as $50 on up to commercial grade chargers that cost $1,100 and everything in between.
Why such a wide discrepancy? The upper end chargers are designed for near-continual use as per the demands of maintaining a fleet of carts for example. Additionally, if charge time is a major consideration for your needs, remember that the higher amp rating of the charger in question will require less charging time than a lower amperage example. Also, be sure to check by looking at your unit’s battery as to what type of battery it’s running. Some chargers work only for certain types of battery (lead acid) for example. Generally speaking, the higher grade the charger, the more battery types it will be compatible with.
For regular consumer use, we’ve had no complaints using the $150 units offered on Amazon like this one. They seem quite reliable, come fairly well feature-laden, are designed to work in just about any temperature and don’t take up a whole lot of room to boot.
Just remember when ordering that Club Cars were available in 36-volt, 48-volt and 72-volt configurations. The higher rated chargers would absolutely damage your battery. When browsing features, many of today’s chargers offer Trickle Charge capability as well as fast charge, which is handy if you live in a climate where your carts sit for the off-season as the charger also functions as a tender/ maintainer during the winter.
