June 2019 June 2019 | Page 22

used in mobile applications. Both Club Car and E-Z-GO have introduced lithium batteries in various 2018-2019 models. The number of such models will, no doubt, grow. What about you currently owned PTV, running on lead acid? Two companies, so far, have drop-in, lithium battery solutions. One is ReLion Battery and the other Trojan (Trillium). ReLion touts the fact that its batteries can be linked together in parallel con- nection to achieve the desired level of power and torque. Both companies’ products feature a battery management system (BMS) that is adaptable to the chargers previously used to charge lead acid batter- ies. And if you would like to retrofit an entire kit com- posed of lithium battery, permanent magnet mo- tor, and controller, look up SilverWolf in Waterloo ON, Canada. According to company information, this retrofitted kit boasts the following: SilverWolf PM motor and controller kit 22 • 12HP ACPM Motor • 840 Amp AC Controller • Bluetooth Smart Vehicle Module  WWW.GOLFCAROPTIONS.COM • On-The-Fly Phone App  All this for just under $2,000. Where, when, how: do these new systems and tech- nologies come together in a viable market? These, of course, are the three $64,000 questions. I have run out of space to discuss the pathway and the market goals by which and toward which these technologies are taking us. One thing to remember, however, is that all the products and their embed- ded technologies discussed here are either on the market or in serious and promising development. So, yet another instance of the overused tagline, “The Future is Now”. Contact Steve at smetzger@ smallvehicleresource.com. Or check out our website at www. smallvehicleresource.com, where you will find an extensive data- base of vehicle models and can make side-by-side comparisons of vehicles based on a full set of specifications.