What should a golf course ask before buying 50 lithium batteries at once?

Direct answer: Do not buy 50 on a product page alone. Ask for a pilot on each cart model, written warranty terms, per-model fit and specifications, the UN38.3 test summary, delivery and shipping terms, a charger plan and a named support route. Make acceptance of the pilot a condition of the main order.

Start with what the product pages do state. The 48V 100Ah, 48V 150Ah and 36V golf cart pages list a minimum order quantity of 5, OEM/ODM customisation, delivery terms FOB, EXW or CIF, payment by T/T, L/C or PayPal, a 5-year warranty and a 10-year design life. They also state a factory daily capacity of 2,000 pieces. They do not publish lead time for these models, so ask for it, with dates, in writing.

Pilot first. Fit a few carts of each make and model in your fleet, run them on real rounds for a period agreed in advance, and compare range, charge time and any BMS shutdowns with what you recorded on lead-acid. Mixed fleets are where surprises appear: different tray sizes, controller current limits and 12V accessory wiring.

Compatibility questions to put to Redway, per cart model: does the pack fit the tray, which connector does the cart use, what charger is supplied or approved, what is the controller’s maximum current compared with the pack’s continuous rating (100A on the 48V 100Ah page, 200A on the 150Ah page), and how will 12V accessories be powered. Our post on a lithium pack that will not charge after BMS lockout shows why the charger and BMS need to match.

Documents and terms: the UN38.3 test summary for the exact model, the safety data sheet, the warranty text (what is covered, the capacity threshold, the claim process, who pays freight and labour), and the user manual the pages say is available. The pages give a 5-year warranty figure, but not the conditions behind it. Spare packs, spare chargers and training for staff are also worth pricing before you commit.

Finally, agree acceptance criteria and delivery in stages. For example: the pilot passes if carts complete your agreed rounds with the agreed reserve and without unexplained shutdowns, and the balance of the order ships in batches after that. Warranty conditions, lead time and the spares policy are not published on the product pages, so treat them as open questions until Redway answers in writing.