How Much Does That Golf Cart Save on Gas?

September 13th, 2007 | webmaster | Life in a Small Town

By Robert Armstrong

Sept 13, 2007

“Hey, Robert, how much money does that golf cart save you on gas”? Well, that is an interesting question that I have often wondered about myself, but I really did not know the answer. I’m sure that I save some money by using my golf cart regularly on my frequent short trips within the Bladenboro town limits, but I did not know how to estimate the amount. My golf cart
does not have an odometer, so I could not tell how many miles I drive it in a year. Then one day it occurred to me that I might be able to make a reasonable estimate of how much I save by using my vehicle log books. I keep chronological log books in both of my vehicles for gas purchases and maintenance. My own curiosity was aroused, so I decided to do the math.

Miles Saved

I used a 12-month time period before I had a golf cart to determine how many vehicle miles I drove “Before” Golf Cart. Then I used a 12 months period after I bought the golf cart to determine how many miles I drove “After” Golf Cart. (I selected time periods that were consistent with other so the data would not be biased. For example, I did not use time periods when I was on a long trip with one of the vehicles). The results are:

From these records, I found that I drove the van 1940 more miles in the year “before” I got the golf cart than I did in the year “after” I got the golf cart. Likewise, I drove the truck 1236 more miles the year before I got the golf cart than the year after. That a total of 3176 fewer vehicle miles after I got the golf cart.

Now we come to the “iffy” part. Since the golf cart does not have an odometer we have to make some assumptions. How many of those 3176 total miles were saved because of the golf cart? That would be 8.7 miles a day (about 9 round trips to town and back for me) every day of the year. I use the golf cart almost every day (summer and winter), and I make several trips a day. So, I think it is rational to assume that at least half of the miles saved are attributable to the use of the golf cart. OK! Having made that assumption, let’s move on.

Miles per Gallon

My van gets about 22 mpg on long interstate highway runs, and about 10.6 mpg in-town, stop-and-go driving. The truck gets about 18 mpg on the highway, and about 8.3 on the short in-town trips.

Gasoline Costs

The price of gas this morning when I filled up was $2.739 per gallon for regular. If the price goes up, I will save more. If the price goes down, I will save less.

Gas Savings Calculations

Van Savings = ((1940/2)/10.6) X 2.739 = $250.64
Truck Savings = ((1236/2)/8.3) X 2.739 = $203.94

Therefore, if only half of the miles saved are attributable to the use of golf cart, it saves me about $455 a year in gasoline costs. If all the miles saved are attributable to the use of the golf cart, it saves me about $909 a year in gasoline costs. The real answer probably lies somewhere in between. My guess is, somewhere around five hundred dollars!

There are some cost savings other than gas. For example, there are savings for “wear-and-tear” on the vehicle (oil changes, tire wear, etc.). But, is it worth the $3500 I paid for the golf cart? Who knows? That is up to the individual owner. For me, it is!

The method isn’t perfect, but it gives me a “ball park” answer to the question,

“How much does that golf cart save on gas?”