Golf cart batteries are wired in series to make a 36V or 48V pack, so their voltages add up. The common combinations are six 6V (36V), three 12V (36V), eight 6V (48V), six 8V (48V) and four 12V (48V). Match your cart's system voltage first, then choose the chemistry. This page explains how packs are built and compares published maker specs. We have not tested any of these batteries; every figure comes from a maker's page, dated below.

Find your cart's voltage

Count the batteries under the seat, read the voltage printed on one of them and multiply. Six 8V batteries means a 48V system. The system voltage is a fixed property of the cart, so a 36V pack and a 48V pack are not interchangeable.

Illustration · Series wiring
How batteries add up to a pack
  • 6V x 66V6V6V6V6V6V= 36V
  • 8V x 68V8V8V8V8V8V= 48V
  • 12V x 312V12V12V= 36V
  • 6V x 86V6V6V6V6V6V6V6V= 48V
  • 12V x 412V12V12V12V= 48V
Count the batteries, read the voltage printed on one, and multiply. Six 8V batteries is a 48V system.
Pack combinations as listed by Battle Born and Dakota Lithium; the 8V x 6 pack is simple arithmetic (6 x 8 = 48), and Trojan makes an 8V golf cart battery, the T-875. Series wiring adds voltage and keeps the amp-hour rating of one battery.
Battery sizeNumber in seriesSystem voltage
6V636V
6V848V
8V648V
12V336V
12V448V

Battle Born lists six 6V and eight 6V batteries as 36V and 48V packs, and three or four 12V batteries for 36V and 48V. Dakota Lithium says most carts leave the factory with lead-acid 6V, 8V or 12V batteries wired in series to make a 36V or 48V system. Trojan makes an 8V golf cart battery, the T-875.

How series wiring works

Connecting batteries in series, positive terminal to negative terminal, adds their voltages and keeps the amp-hour rating the same, according to Dakota Lithium. Four 12V batteries make 48V at the capacity of one battery.

Battle Born notes that lower-voltage batteries typically have a higher amp-hour capacity, so a pack built from 6V batteries generally has more amp-hour capacity than one built from 12V batteries of the same size. Compare the amp-hour rating on the exact models you are considering.

Build a pack and see the numbers

Pick a battery and a count to see the system voltage, the nominal energy (volts × amp-hours) and the weight of the batteries. The per-battery numbers are the makers' own.

Calculator · Pack builder
Voltage, energy and weight
System voltage
36V
Nominal energy
8.10 kWh
Weight of the batteries
372 lb
A common 36V cart pack.
Per-battery figures are the makers’ published numbers: T-105 (225 Ah, 62 lb), T-875 (170 Ah, 63 lb), T-1275 (150 Ah, 85 lb) and Battle Born 100Ah (100 Ah, 31 lb). Energy is volts x amp-hours x batteries, the nominal rating at the 20-hour rate; usable energy is lower. This is arithmetic on maker claims, not a test.

How much energy a pack lists

Energy is voltage times amp-hours, so a pack's capacity in kilowatt-hours lets you compare packs built from different battery sizes. The chart uses the specs on Trojan's and Battle Born's product pages. These are manufacturer claims at the 20-hour rate, and usable energy is lower.

Chart · Nominal pack energy
How much energy each pack lists
  1. 48V · eight Trojan T-10510.80 kWh
    8 x 6V x 225 Ah · 8 x 62 lb
  2. 48V · Trojan OnePack XR8.75 kWh
    Single 171 Ah pack · 8.75 kWh as printed by Trojan, not 48V x 171 Ah (8.2 kWh)
  3. 48V · six Trojan T-8758.16 kWh
    6 x 8V x 170 Ah · 6 x 63 lb
  4. 36V · six Trojan T-1058.10 kWh
    6 x 6V x 225 Ah · 6 x 62 lb
  5. 48V · four Trojan T-12757.20 kWh
    4 x 12V x 150 Ah · 4 x 85 lb
  6. 36V · three Trojan T-12755.40 kWh
    3 x 12V x 150 Ah · 3 x 85 lb
  7. 48V · four Battle Born 100Ah4.80 kWh
    4 x 12V x 100 Ah · 4 x 31 lb
  8. 36V · three Battle Born 100Ah3.60 kWh
    3 x 12V x 100 Ah · 3 x 31 lb
  • Flooded lead-acid
  • Lithium
Sources: Trojan T-105, T-875, T-1275 and OnePack XR 48V pages and Battle Born’s 100Ah page, seen 7 October 2026. These are manufacturer claims. Energy is computed as volts x amp-hours x batteries (nominal, 20-hour rate) except the OnePack, whose 8.75 kWh Trojan prints; that is higher than 48V x 171 Ah (about 8.2 kWh), so it is not on exactly the same basis as the computed packs. Usable energy is lower, and lead-acid and lithium are not discharged to the same depth. Pack weights are the batteries only.

The biggest flooded pack here, eight T-105s, lists 10.8 kWh. Trojan's OnePack XR lithium lists 8.75 kWh, a single 171 Ah, 48V unit. Trojan's printed figure is higher than 48 V x 171 Ah (about 8.2 kWh), so it is not on exactly the same basis as our computed packs.

Energy and weight together

Weight matters in a cart, and it separates the chemistries more than energy does. Trojan lists the OnePack XR at 170 lb, while six T-875s list 378 lb for nominal energy within about 7% (8.75 against 8.16 kWh).

Chart · Energy against weight
Lighter for the same energy?
0369120100200300400500Weight of the batteries (lb)Nominal energy (kWh)36V · three Trojan T-1275: 5.4 kWh, 255 lb36V · six Trojan T-105: 8.1 kWh, 372 lb48V · four Trojan T-1275: 7.2 kWh, 340 lb48V · six Trojan T-875: 8.16 kWh, 378 lb48V · eight Trojan T-105: 10.8 kWh, 496 lb36V · three Battle Born 100Ah: 3.6 kWh, 93 lb48V · four Battle Born 100Ah: 4.8 kWh, 124 lb48V · Trojan OnePack XR: 8.75 kWh, 170 lbOnePack XR4 x Battle Born8 x T-1056 x T-8756 x T-105
  • Flooded lead-acid
  • Lithium
Trojan lists its OnePack XR at 8.75 kWh and 170 lb. Six T-875s list 8.16 kWh at 378 lb. Lithium can store less per pack too: four Battle Born 100Ah batteries list 4.8 kWh.
Sources: Trojan T-105, T-875, T-1275 and OnePack XR 48V pages and Battle Born’s 100Ah page, seen 7 October 2026. These are manufacturer claims. Energy is computed as volts x amp-hours x batteries (nominal, 20-hour rate) except the OnePack, whose 8.75 kWh Trojan prints; that is higher than 48V x 171 Ah (about 8.2 kWh), so it is not on exactly the same basis as the computed packs. Usable energy is lower, and lead-acid and lithium are not discharged to the same depth. Pack weights are the batteries only. Each dot is one pack from the bar chart above.

Lithium is not simply "more of everything". Four 12V Battle Born 100Ah batteries make a 48V pack that lists 4.8 kWh at 124 lb, which is far lighter than the lead-acid packs but also holds less nominal energy. Dakota Lithium says its batteries weigh a quarter as much as a set of lead-acid golf cart batteries without naming the lead-acid pack it compares against.

Lead-acid versus lithium

Lithium (LiFePO4) packs replace flooded lead-acid batteries, which need watering, and the makers state these differences:

  • Warranty: Trojan lists a 10-year warranty on its lithium batteries, 3 years on AES AGM and 18 months on flooded lead acid. Dakota Lithium gives 11 years on its golf cart batteries.
  • Maintenance: Dakota says its batteries require no watering and can be installed in any orientation.
  • Pack layout: Trojan sells 36V and 48V lithium as a single OnePack rather than several batteries. Dakota and Battle Born use 12V batteries wired in series: three for 36V, four for 48V.
Chart · Stated warranties
What the makers promise
  1. Trojan flooded lead-acid18 months
  2. Trojan AES AGM3 years
  3. Trojan lithium10 years
  4. Dakota Lithium golf cart batteries11 years
  • Lead-acid
  • Lithium
Sources: Trojan’s golf cart page and Dakota Lithium, checked 5 October 2026. Warranty length is a maker’s promise, not a life expectancy, and terms (pro-rating, conditions) differ.

Cycle life claims

Makers also quote cycle life, but they measure it differently. Trojan says its OnePack lithium reaches 4,000 cycles at 30% depth of discharge and rates its T105-AES AGM at 1,200 cycles at full discharge against 400 for standard AGM. Battle Born gives a range of 3,000 to 5,000 cycles for its 12V 100Ah battery, at what it describes as 100% usable capacity; we could not see its test conditions. Because the depth of discharge differs, you cannot rank the batteries from these numbers alone.

Chart · Claimed cycle life
Cycles are not comparable
  1. Standard AGM400 cycles
    At 100% depth of discharge · Trojan’s comparison figure
  2. Trojan T105-AES (AGM)1,200 cycles
    At 100% depth of discharge · Trojan, "validated"
  3. Trojan OnePack (lithium)4,000 cycles
    At 30% depth of discharge · Trojan white paper
  4. Battle Born 12V 100Ah (lithium)3,000 to 5,000 cycles
    At 100% usable capacity, as Battle Born states it · range from Battle Born; test conditions not stated
Compare the depth of discharge before the cycle count. Trojan’s 4,000 lithium cycles assume 30%, while the AGM figures assume a full discharge.
Sources: Trojan T105-AES, Trojan lithium white paper and Battle Born, seen 7 October 2026. These are manufacturer claims and each uses a different depth of discharge, so the bars show what is claimed, not which battery lasts longer. Battle Born gives a range, drawn from 3,000 to 5,000.

These sources are battery makers that sell the products they describe, so treat their claims as marketing and compare the specific model you are buying. Lithium packs can need a compatible charger. Trojan's OnePack page points to a charger compatibility guide, and Battle Born lists a 14.2 to 14.6 V charge voltage for its 12V battery, so check with the battery maker before swapping a lead-acid pack for lithium.

Reading the voltage on a lead-acid pack

Trojan publishes the open-circuit voltage of a flooded battery at each state of charge. On a 48V pack it runs from 50.93 V when full to 46.03 V at 10%, and on a 36V pack from 38.20 V to 34.52 V. The table below is Trojan's, for flooded batteries only; lithium batteries have a different voltage curve, so do not use it for them.

Chart · Rested voltage
What a multimeter reads on a lead-acid pack
364044485210%30%50%70%90%100%State of chargePack voltage (V)48V pack at 100%: 50.93 V36V pack at 100%: 38.2 V48V pack at 90%: 50.47 V36V pack at 90%: 37.85 V48V pack at 80%: 49.99 V36V pack at 80%: 37.49 V48V pack at 70%: 49.49 V36V pack at 70%: 37.12 V48V pack at 60%: 48.96 V36V pack at 60%: 36.72 V48V pack at 50%: 48.41 V36V pack at 50%: 36.31 V48V pack at 40%: 47.83 V36V pack at 40%: 35.87 V48V pack at 30%: 47.26 V36V pack at 30%: 35.44 V48V pack at 20%: 46.63 V36V pack at 20%: 34.97 V48V pack at 10%: 46.03 V36V pack at 10%: 34.52 V48V: 50.93 V full46.03 V at 10%36V: 38.20 V full34.52 V at 10%
  • 48V pack (gold line)
  • 36V pack (dashed line)
Source: the open-circuit voltage table in Trojan’s battery maintenance guide for flooded batteries, reproduced as printed (checked 7 October 2026). Table values, not measurements of ours, for a pack at rest with no load or charger connected (open-circuit voltage); it applies to flooded lead-acid, not lithium, whose voltage curve differs.
State of charge6V8V12V36V48V
100%6.378.4912.7338.2050.93
90%6.318.4112.6237.8550.47
80%6.258.3312.5037.4949.99
70%6.198.2512.3737.1249.49
60%6.128.1612.2736.7248.96
50%6.028.0712.1036.3148.41
40%5.987.9711.8935.8747.83
30%5.917.8811.8135.4447.26
20%5.837.7711.6634.9746.63
10%5.757.6711.5134.5246.03

Values are reproduced as printed on Trojan's page, which gives open-circuit voltage; they are not our measurements.

Care and safety for lead-acid packs

These points are from Trojan's battery maintenance guidance:

  • Trojan recommends checking the water level once a month until you get a feel for how often your batteries need it.
  • Use distilled or deionized water only, preferably distilled.
  • Add water after the battery has been fully charged, because water is lost when flooded batteries charge. Trojan's level for standard deep-cycle batteries is 1/8 below the bottom of the vent well, and never let the electrolyte drop below the top of the plates.
  • Charge only in well-ventilated areas and keep sparks or flames away from a charging battery.
  • Trojan does not recommend replacing only some batteries in a flooded bank: older batteries tend to need more charge than newer ones, so new batteries in the same circuit can be overcharged and the charger may stop before the old ones are full.

Flooded batteries contain acid. Wear gloves and eye protection when you handle them, and follow the battery maker's and the cart maker's own instructions for disconnecting and handling a pack.

Golf cart battery reviews by voltage

Source and date

Pack configurations, warranties and care notes checked against the maker pages linked above on 5 October 2026. Battery specifications, cycle claims and the Trojan voltage table were checked on 7 October 2026. Energy figures are our arithmetic on those specs except Trojan's printed 8.75 kWh for the OnePack XR, and all specifications are manufacturer claims, not our test results. Specs and warranties change, so check the maker's current page before you buy.