April 2020 GCOptions Apr20 MAGZTER | Page 13

There are about 34,000 golf courses around the world, with approximately 1.1 million golf carts serving golfers. Among this massive fleet of golf carts, thirty-five percent uses fossil fuel engines, and sixty-five percent is powered by lead storage batteries. Lithium-ion battery golf carts only take up around one percent of the entire market at this initial point, but thanks to the various ad- vantages explained in the previous section, it is expected that the share of golf carts powered by this advanced battery will grow explosively to fourteen percent this year. One golf cart requires 350 to 600 cylindrical battery cells, and if the transition to a lithium-ion battery of all golf carts in the world, the mar- ket would grow into a place where a staggering number of forty billion cells of batteries are sold. Looking at this promising picture of growth, the lithium-ion battery industry and golf cart industry are cooperating to launch lithium-ion golf carts in the market. Lithium-ion batteries used in golf carts usually take cylindrical forms. Samsung SDI is an unri- valed leader in the cylindrical battery market, with products that have high output and longer lifes- pan. In addition to laptop computers, the compa- ny is expanding its market to power tools, electric bicycles, and electric vehicles. In recent years, Samsung SDI advanced into the golf cart industry by developing a battery man- agement system (BMS) that manages battery efficiency, charge status, and battery life, which is optimized for golf carts. The technology was widely acknowledged in the industry, and the company began its effort to expand the market in earnest. As a start, collaboration with Korea’s leading golf card companies DY and Kukje Inter- trade was made, and Samsung SDI is increasing its supply of lithium-ion cell batteries, and this year, it began supplying battery cell to its first global brand, E-Z-GO. Using the supply to E-Z-GO as a stepping stone, Samsung SDI plans to continue developing lith- ium-ion batteries with unrivaled output and lifespan, as well as battery solutions to find new markets and lead the industry.​​ SVR Small Vehicle Resource Vehicles For Personal Use | Vehicles For Commercial Use Small Vehicle Resource is your one-stop source for information on small task-oriented vehicles: Utility vehicles, LSVs/NEVs and Golf Cars for commercial or personal use. smallvehicleresource.com Find A Dealer Add Your Dealership Buying Guides Research Guides Complete Brand Listing Blog News APRIL 2020 13