How to Make a Club Car Faster

How to Make a Club Car Golf Cart Faster in 2024

One of the most common things Club Car owners search on our website is " How to make Club Car Faster?". And it's hotly searched for a reason: people wanna go fast! But making your Club Car faster can be confusing if you don't have a little help from the experts. And that's where we come in!

We help many customers each and every week wanting to either get more speed out of their stock Club Car Motor (which is easy) or wanting to pop-wheelies with a totally-new and faster motor all together. Luckily, you don't actually need an all-new motor to make your Club Car a lot faster. You just need a few fresh Club Car accessories outlined below to take you from regular guy, to Golf Cart Racer next door.

How to Make any Club Car Faster

Here are the 5 Easiest Ways to make any Club Car faster. Further down we discuss model specifics to make your DS, Precedent, Tempo / Onward faster.

1. Use Larger Tires or Radial Tires

Taller golf cart tires will make your Club Car run 1-2 mph faster in terms of top speed. This is because taller tires increase the overall diameter (height) of the wheels and tires mounted on your cart, leading to a greater distance traveled with each tire rotation when driving. So each time your tire goes around, your golf cart covers more ground. Which increases your Club Car's speed. Your factory tires are 18" tall. Add some 23" tall tires today to get your cart moving quicker. 

GCTS Expert Tip: Steel-belted radial golf cart tires will add another 1-2 mph to your top speed as well. This is because radial tires have less rolling resistance and hold their shape better when they heat up, meaning you get a smoother, more true roll for your cart. A smoother roll (less friction on the ground) means a higher top speed. It's science!

2. Use Lithium Club Car Batteries

When it comes to overall speed, lithium batteries make your Club Car faster in two ways:

• They're Much Lighter: Lithium golf cart batteries weigh up to 300lbs less than standard lead-acid batteries. Once installed, you will INSTANTLY notice how much lighter and faster any Club Car model feels.
• Don't Lose Power as They Lose Charge: You know your cell phone works at full power whether it has 30% battery or 80% battery, and it is because it has Lithium-ion batteries. Lithium golf cart batteries, in the same way, will not lose power as your charge level drops. This means you have FULL horsepower all day in your cart, until your cart's battery hits 0% and shuts off.

We have had customers report up to 3-4mph top speed increase from installing lithium batteries in their Club Car. 

While making your Club Car faster and weighing less is already enough reason to go with lithium next time you need to replace your cart's batteries, we just want to remind you of these additional benefits of changing to lithium for your cart:

1. They fully charge in 2-3 hours (vs. 8-10hrs for traditional Lead-Acid batteries)
2. They live longer (3x - 5x longer) than traditional golf cart batteries
3. They require NO maintenance (no adding water, cleaning corrosion, or checking acid levels)

Read more about lithium golf cart batteries: Why Lithium Golf Cart Batteries are the Future

3. Performance Club Car Controller

A Club Car controller or Club Car speed controller does exactly what its name implies: controls the speed and power of your Club Car's motor. You can almost think of your controller as the brain of your golf cart. And every Club Car comes from the factory with a factory installed controller. These OEM controllers are typically set to a default Club Car power and torque spec for golf course use. But they are capable of untapping much more than that!

Upgrading and installing a new speed controller on your Club Car will make you swear you put a whole new motor in it. Upgraded controllers typically come with a set of power dials you mount on your dash, so you can control how much HP your cart has. These new controllers allow you to untap all of your factory Club Car motor's power. We have installed controllers on DS and Precedent carts and gotten up to 27mph on factory motors (and 25mph is easily achievable all day). Your cart will climb hills faster, handle better with larger wheels and tires, and feel snappy on acceleration when you hit the gas.

4. High-Speed Club Car Motor

This is the most expensive option on our list, but it's the fastest way to have your Club Car literally doing wheelies (if you're into that kind of thing). There are two options for Club Car motor upgrades:

1. Newer Club Car Models:  Upgrade your existing AC motor to a more powerful AC motor

2. Older Club Car Models:  Convert from DC motor (low power) into an AC motor kit (higher power) 

Most newer Club Car golf carts (Precedent, Onward, etc.) come with AC power rather than DC power featured in older Club Cars (such as the DS models). AC is much more efficient and powerful for a few reasons:

• Spins at Higher RPM: AC motors spin faster, leading to higher top speeds and more torque.
• Smoother Power: AC powered carts give more consistent power flow, meaning smoother climbs up and down hills.
• Longer Lifespan: AC motors wear less quickly because they have a steadier flow of current compared to DC motors.

Pictured above: Factory Club Car Tempo Motor.

Since Club Car golf carts are built for golf course and neighborhood use, most factory Club Car motors (even AC motors) just can't get above 25-27mph, even with a top-notch speed controller like a NAVITAS installed. But an upgraded high-speed club car motor paired with an upgraded speed controller increases your cart's top speed and torque dramatically beyond factory power. When it comes to upgraded electric Club Car motors, we sell units on our website that can get your cart above 40mph and have you popping wheelies with the torque they deliver.

5. Club Car Tune-Up Kit, Maintenance, Greasing

When was the last time you actually changed the spark plug or air filter on your gas powered Club Car? Probably longer than one year. And while waiting until something fails is fine, you are definitely sacrificing power along the way. We remind our customers all the time that the simplest fixes can make a big difference for their cart (especially when it comes to gas golf carts). Regular maintenance and a tune-up each year ensures that your golf cart runs at its best. And a good tune-up kit costs less than $50 for most golf carts. Replacing your air filter, fuel filter, oil and spark plug annually help speed up your cart in the following ways:

• Power Gains: Better airflow, and better ignition of fuel mean improved power for your cart. More power means a higher top speed and better torque off the line.
• Fuel Efficiency: The same as with power output, clean airflow and sharp ignition mean better mileage per gallon for your cart. 

If your Club Car is electric, don't forget to check your Battery Cables for corrosion, and perform other routine maintenance outlined in other articles on our website.

How to make a Club Car Precedent go Faster

Summarizing the topics above, here is our short punch-list of how to make your Club Car Precedent faster:

• Use Larger Tires: Taller tires travel a greater distance with each tire rotation on your cart, increasing your Precedent's top speed.
• Use Lithium Batteries: Replacing your Lead-Acid batteries with a Club Car Precedent Lithium battery setup will save your cart 300lbs of weight and increase your Precedent's top speed 1-2mph, while also increasing charge range (due to carrying less weight).
• Upgrade Your Controller: An upgraded Club Car Precedent Controller can have you doing speeds of 25mph+ on your factory motor setup.
• Upgraded Your Motor: For the most extreme speed in your Club Car Precedent, you will want to go with a higher-powered motor. The electric motors we sell on our site can have your Precedent cart doing 40mph+ and popping wheelies.
• Tune-Up Kit: If your Precedent isn't being regularly maintained (whether gas or electric), you are likely losing a few MPH off your potential top-speed. Old batteries, bad electrical connections, dirty air filters, and fouled spark plugs can slow your cart down much more than you think.  

How to make a Club Car DS Faster

Here is our punch-list of how to make your Club Car DS faster, summarizing the topics above into short lists:

• Use Larger Tires: Taller tires travel a greater distance with each tire rotation on your cart, increasing your DS's top speed.
• Use Lithium Batteries: Replacing your Lead-Acid batteries with a Club Car DS Lithium battery setup will save your cart 300lbs of weight and increase your DS's top speed 1-2mph easily, while also increasing charge range (due to carrying less weight).
• Upgrade Your Controller: An upgraded Club Car DS Controller can have you doing speeds of 24mph+ on your factory DS motor setup.
• Upgraded Your Motor: For the most extreme speed in your Club Car DS, you will want to go with a higher-powered motor and convert your cart from DC power to more modern AC power. The electric motors we sell on our site can have your DS cart doing 38mph+ and popping wheelies.
• Tune-Up Kit: If your DS isn't being regularly maintained (whether gas or electric), you are likely losing a few MPH off your potential top-speed. Old batteries, bad electrical connections, dirty air filters, and fouled spark plugs can slow your cart down much more than you think.

How to make a Club Car Tempo or Onward go Faster

Summarizing the topics above, here is our short punch-list of how to make your Club Car Onward or Club Car Tempo faster:

• Use Larger Tires: Taller tires travel a greater distance with each tire rotation on your cart, increasing your Onward or Tempo's top speed.
• Use Lithium Batteries: Replacing your Lead-Acid batteries with a Club Car Onward Lithium battery setup will save your cart 300lbs of weight and increase your Onward's top speed 1-2mph, while also increasing charge range (due to carrying less weight).
• Upgrade Your Controller: An upgraded Club Car Onward Controller can have you doing speeds of 26mph+ on your factory motor setup.
• Upgraded Your Motor: For the most extreme speed in your Club Car Onward or Tempo, you will want to go with a higher-powered motor. The electric motors we sell on our site can have your Onward cart doing 40mph+ and even popping wheelies if you'd like.
• Tune-Up Kit: If your Onward isn't being regularly maintained (whether gas or electric), you are likely losing a few MPH off your potential top-speed. Old batteries, bad electrical connections, dirty air filters, and fouled spark plugs can slow your cart down much more than you think.

Check out our wide selection of golf cart accessories at the best prices. And call us anytime if you have questions at 1-844-422-7884 today!

Happy carting!

Written by Alex Sturwold

Alex Sturwold is the President of Golf Cart Tire Supply, and founder of the Golf Cart Sellers marketplace. Alex is a lifelong gearhead and vehicle expert, bringing over two decades of practical experience to GCTS including serving major industrial companies, such as Carlisle, during his years as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. A resident of beautiful Arizona, Alex enjoys hitting the trails in side-by-sides, hiking, shooting guns and driving anything with a motor strapped to it. You can find him on LinkedIn.