Why does a lithium golf cart lose range in cold weather?

Direct answer: Cold reduces the usable energy and power a LiFePO4 pack can deliver: internal resistance rises, voltage sags earlier under the same hill load, and the BMS may limit discharge or block charging near or below 0°C. Expect shorter winter range even when the pack is healthy. Store and charge carts indoors when you can, and do not treat cold range loss as a failed battery without summer comparison data.

Chemistry effect. Lithium cells deliver less capacity at low temperature. The loss is largely temporary and recovers as the pack warms from use or a warmer garage. Published golf-cart pages for the 48V 100Ah (S51105), 48V 150Ah and 72V 100Ah commonly list wide operating windows (often down to about -20°C discharge on marketing sheets), but usable range still falls in the cold; ask Redway for any derating notes for your model.

Power effect. Higher internal resistance means more voltage drop under acceleration, so hills feel weaker and low-voltage protection can arrive sooner. That feels like ‘lost range’ even if amp-hours remain.

Charging below freezing. Many BMS configurations reduce or forbid charge current near 0°C to protect cells. A cart brought in cold may refuse charge until it warms, or may accept only a trickle. Self-heating options exist on some Redway 12V products; for golf packs, confirm whether your build includes a heater.

Fleet practice. Store carts indoors overnight, charge in a space above freezing, and set guest expectations for winter holes-per-charge. Related industrial cold topics appear in cold-storage forklift specification.

Do not over-correct. Raising charge voltage past the LiFePO4 spec will not restore cold capacity and can create faults.

Diagnose real faults separately. A cart that also fails on warm afternoons, shows large cell imbalance, or cuts out under mild load may have a controller or battery issue; see separating battery from controller power loss for a structured approach.

Data to keep. Log outdoor temperature, starting SOC and holes completed for a few winter days so purchasing can plan spare carts or mid-day opportunity charging.

Spring check. After winter, run a full charge and a warm-day range check to confirm capacity returned. Carts that still underperform when warm need the usual electrical diagnosis rather than another cold-weather explanation.