The Kandi Mini is not like another golf cart on the earth in two key methods. First, it’s lower than half the worth of your common golf cart. And second, it’s much more compact than your common golf cart.
Each of those are key options for folk who’ve turn out to be golf cart curious however don’t have the area of their garages or their wallets for a brand new full-size cart.
I’ve written earlier than about how helpful golf carts have turn out to be as various transportation. As a lot as I like a great electrical bicycle, a golf cart can often carry extra folks and cargo, provides higher climate safety, and is a extra comfy feeling for a lot of riders. The one downside is they often price an arm and a leg, often beginning within the low 5 figures.
Don’t imagine me? You clearly haven’t checked out new golf cart costs these days. $10,000 for a reasonably fundamental golf cart is fairly normal as of late, and it’s simple to get into the $12-$15k vary once you begin taking a look at lifted carts with greater wheels and fancier options.
Enter the Kandi Mini: a $3,999 electrical golf cart (or $3,499, relying on the place you get it) that’s sufficiently small to not take up an excessive amount of area in your storage. In reality, it’s received a neat function that enables it to break down down into a good smaller dimension. You’ll be able to see it intimately in a enjoyable unboxing and testing video I made right here.
Absolutely prolonged, the cart is 96 inches (8 toes or 2.43 meters) in size, together with the foot platform within the rear. While you push the dashboard swap to break down it, the entrance finish of the cart sucks itself in. Add within the folding rear platform, and the cart drops to only 66 inches (5’6″ or 1.68 meters) lengthy.
I put in the non-compulsory roof cover and windshield onto my Kandi Mini, although these are equipment that don’t come normal. The roof cover comes off with fast releases and the whole cover folds all the way down to make the cart even shorter. The fast-release knob on the cover even has a built-in hex key that you should use to take away the steering wheel for much more collapsibility, so that you don’t want to recollect to deliver your Allen wrench set.
I used to be capable of match the cart behind my household’s minivan, which is a severe testomony to only how compact it may turn out to be. As a aspect observe, I didn’t even want to make use of the telescoping function to make the cart even shorter; I simply folded down the rear footrest. But when your van or SUV isn’t as spacious as this one, you may make the cart even shorter to suit tighter areas.
As small as it’s, the cart can nonetheless match two adults aspect by aspect on the entrance bench, as my dad and I found whereas using round collectively. The advertising and marketing appears to indicate a single grownup within the entrance and a second grownup within the rear, so it looks as if they intend for this to be a two-seater.
However with a 400 lb weight restrict, you might doubtless match two healthy-sized adults and a baby or two on the cart.
The controls are nearly so simple as may very well be. There’s a fuel pedal on the proper and a brake pedal on the left, with a parking brake constructed into the highest portion of the brake pedal.
There’s an On/Off swap on the middle console (although I’m advised this has been augmented on present fashions with a keyed swap for added safety), and there’s additionally a battery meter alongside the switches for lights and collapsing/growth of the body.
I actually like how that battery meter provides an precise share readout as an alternative of simply 5 LED dots like many cheaper battery shows provide. This provides you a greater concept of your actual battery capability, although the 25-mile (40-km) vary means few folks will ever discover themselves working the battery empty. I simply can’t think about using this for 25 miles at a time.
Charging can also be fairly easy, with a small brick charger like these used for a laptop computer or e-bike, and that plugs right into a 120VAC outlet.
The one different management enter is the gear shifter, which is mounted on the entrance of the underseat platform proper between your knees. You’ll be able to attain all the way down to shift gears, akin to once you’re backing out of a parking spot, and also you don’t even must seek for a button on the middle console since its the one swap instead there behind your calves.
There are two retractable seatbelts, one every for the whole entrance and rear bench. They’ve a DOT label on them, they usually really feel sturdy like true automotive seat belts, although that doesn’t imply it is a street-legal LSV.
Nonetheless, the inclusion of high-quality seat belts is a pleasant addition, particularly in case you’ve received small youngsters that you just don’t need hopping up mid-ride.
I examined the cart on all kinds of off-road terrain, from tough and sandy pasture grass to gravel roads, and it carried out admirably. The entrance suspension makes use of a typical impartial double A-arm setup, whereas the rear is a straight axle on a swingarm. The shocks aren’t what I’d name the best finish, however for $3,499, they’re fairly good.
Once I was again on paved roads and paths, the suspension was a non-issue and felt nice. Once I was using round on bumpy off-road areas, I positively bumped round a bit with the terrain, however the suspension carried out fairly decently for what it’s. It’s positively not a high-end UTV, however it’s additionally not some low cost little buggy. It’s modest suspension that works fairly effectively on most terrain.
There’s round six inches (15 cm) of floor clearance, which is greater than I’d have anticipated from such a small golf cart. I took this factor far past the place the roads ended, and I by no means as soon as had an issue with it whereas off-roading. In reality, I used to be capable of drive down into ditches and again out the opposite aspect, repeatedly. That doesn’t imply you’ll be able to’t high-center it on a downed phone pole, however each trip has its restrict, and also you most likely shouldn’t be attempting to traverse phone poles on a mini golf cart.
The facility additionally stunned me. It’s not that it’s notably punchy, however moderately that I had anticipated a tortoise scenario based mostly on the 1,000W energy score for the spec sheet. I used to be pleasantly stunned to search out that once I stepped on the accelerator pedal, the cart didn’t protest. It’s not a powerhouse, however it doesn’t really feel underpowered, both. I climbed up grassy embankments and by no means felt like I used to be getting slowed down. And never that it’s a very gargantuan feat of power, however I even towed round my kayak to deliver it to our native lake on a small trailer.
Whereas the cart didn’t really feel underpowered, it did really feel a bit sluggish. The highest velocity is listed as simply 9 mph, and it didn’t really feel prefer it was going rather more than 10 mph (16 km/h). I did take it on some native flippantly trafficked roads (it’s not road authorized however this testing was in Florida the place a golf cart may as effectively be on the state flag), and it felt a bit unusual to go that sluggish on the highway, even with barely a automobile in sight. This cart is certainly higher located on cart paths, trails, and different multi-use pathways.
That sluggish velocity didn’t actually restrict me from utilizing it like an actual city golf cart, although. I took it buying, made runs to Goal and Walgreens, and used it throughout my dad and mom’ ranch and my household’s suburban neighborhood, and it carried out admirably in every scenario.
Among the spectacular options that I used to be stunned to see on such a small and affordably-priced golf cart included the gorgeous darn spacious frunk for entrance storage, aluminum wheels (usually a paid improve over metal wheels on many autos), a lithium iron phosphate battery (1.8 kWh) with a 3-year guarantee, hydraulic disc brakes, the rear seat flips down right into a small cargo mattress, the cart comes with automotive-style metallic flake paint, and there are a bunch of colours to select from.
Among the enhancements I’d like to see can be the next prime velocity, and maybe a much bigger battery to go together with that velocity. Because it stands, the prevailing battery is lots for the reason that low prime velocity makes this an ultra-efficient cart. The 25-mile (40-km) vary seems like greater than I’ll ever want for around-the-neighborhood journeys. But when they might make the cart go quicker, even as much as 15 mph (25 km/h), then a barely greater battery can be good for the reason that vary would take successful.
However that additionally speaks to the worth right here. We may click on our heels and want for extra velocity and larger batteries all day, but when that was one way or the other granted, then we’d have to achieve deeper into our pockets, too.
They’re capable of provide a well-made electrical golf cart at a 3rd of the worth of the massive boys exactly as a result of it doesn’t include tremendous quick speeds or large batteries.
As a substitute, it provides us modest efficiency that enables riders to avoid wasting severe money. Should you want extra velocity and energy, Kandi has greater golf carts (they usually nonetheless price lower than the competitors).
However for the folks on the market who don’t must go 20-25 mph as a result of they’re solely cruising the neighborhood or the campsite, that is doubtless loads of cart for them.
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