Electric vs. Gas- which is the better Go-Kart?

Major automakers are working towards manufacturing cars which run on electricity. The whole world is slowly drifting towards the same direction and so are go-karts.

These carts started as ‘4-tired toy cars’ and gradually became sensational racing cars. And certainly, they have come a long way. However, a major confusion between their buyers’ prevails; ‘Which go-kart to buy, electric or gas?’

In this article, we’ll tell you, “Why electric go-karts are better than gas”. But, first, let’s get to know what exactly go-karts are.

What are go-karts?

• A go-kart is a small vehicle with an open roof and consisting of four wheels. They are generally one or two-seater and available in all shapes and forms.
• They gained mass popularity at the time they entered the world of racing. Before this, they were majorly used in amusement parks and for kids’ entertainment.

What is Karting?

• Karting or kart racing is a popular racing sport with go-karts. These racings are organized in specific kart circuits. For this very purpose, special racing karts are manufactured. You can see the wide range of diversity in products as they are available from motor-less models to high-powered racing machines.
• Among the fastest karts are supercarts as they can reach 160mph and are still controllable.
• This sport was first played in 1950 by Art Ingles who was an American and referred to as 'father of karting'. Kurtis Kraft first built a race car in 1956. After 60 years of the origin of karting, one can easily witness the popularity of this sport as nearly 35 million people participate in this sport in America every year.

What are the different parts of go-karts?

• Engine:

The engine may vary from kart to kart. If you own a recreational or offside go-kart, the use of four-stroke engines is better. Whereas engines used for go-karts made for karting can be small two-stroke or four-stroke. The engine is quite similar to cars which range from about 120 to 200 cc.

• Pedals :

You need not worry about the gears as go-karts contain only two pedals which are accelerator and brakes.

• Steering:

The design of the steering wheel is not so complex and is similar to normal cars. Steering wheels are made of aluminum and are covered with shock-absorbers as hard turns and vibrations can loosen your grip and decrease the comfort level.

• Tires:

Tires are similar to the one you see in F1 cars. Though much smaller than normal cars. Tires on the back of go-karts are wider than the front as most of the weight is distributed behind. As wider tires are present, you can take sharp turns without losing much speed.

There are many types of go-karts available. Two of the most popular go-karts worldwide are electric and gas go-karts.

What are electric go-karts?

• They are an advanced version of traditional go-karts as they use electric motors and batteries to power up.
• They are multipurpose karts as normal electric go-karts are used for recreational activities and high-performance models for serious karting.

What are gas karts?

They don’t work on batteries as they simply require a fuel refill. Gasoline is mainly used as fuel.

6 Ways why electric go-karts are better than gas

1. Better speed:

One of the reasons why electric karts are preferred is the speed. Electric go-karts hit the maximum speed much quicker than gas karts. As they provide more torque, you’ll get instant power immediately after the pedals are slammed.

Ninebot segway electric go-karts reach the top speed of 15 mph in seconds and give the thrill of drift racing, without compromising on the safety part.

All-electric Daymac C-5 blast is the world's fastest go-kart and can jump from 0 to 60mph in less than two seconds.

1. Better handling:

As compared to gas karts, electric go-karts have better steering control providing better race experience. The heavy engine is confined at only one place in case of gas karts making it hard to control at a sharp turn. While in electric karts, battery weight is distributed evenly throughout the kart leading a smoother ride.

1. Eco-friendly:

"Go green" is trending worldwide. As a buyer, you must be worried about which kart produces less pollution. Gas karts are not even close to being called eco-friendly. They emit hazardous fumes which are bad for the environment and also not good for your health.

They are fairly loud. Moreover, the smell of fuel and grease is even worse. Suppose, you are in an enclosed indoor racing arena and you have a gas kart. The noise will be echoed and fuel spills might be also there having bad smell. If there would be more gas karts, the situation becomes worse.

Electric go-karts don't emit any kind of hazardous gases and are relatively quiter providing you a safer and cleaner racing experience.

1. More power:

An electric go kart can achieve maximum torque without the use of transmission. This helps in reaching top speed quickly and the speed can be limited easily. This prevents the rider from injuries, ensuring race safety.

This is not in the case of gas karts as they need transmission to reach maximum torque and this makes them difficult to drive

1. Reverse gear:

In most of the go-karts, majorly two pedals are there, which are accelerator and brake. In electric karts, you'll be provided with reverse gear too which will help you prevent tedious work of pushing the karts to bring them on the track.

1. Driver safety:

In electric karts, along with even distribution, covered mechanical components also prevent drivers from getting injured. These covered mechanical components prevent the driver from getting burned when they touch a spot on the kart, which is common in gas karts.

Parting Notes

We hope this article was beneficial in informing you about go-carts. It is clear that electric carts are better as compared to go-carts. Now, if you are planning to  buy electric go-carts, why not contact us? At Smart Wheel, we are providing best in class electric go-carts with unmatched quality. Visit our website to see the catalogue of different go-karts available. We assure, you won’t be disappointed.