Why Solar? The Lani EV Difference
This Q&A session quickly outlines the reason why solar-powered golf carts and low-speed vehicles make both economic and environmental sense, and how Lani is driving the industry in both technology and vision.
We recently sat down with Jon Watters, Lani EV’s Founder and Director of Innovation, to learn more about Lani’s revolutionary solar-powered vehicles.
The promises of solar-powered vehicles have been talked about for decades, and yet they represent a tiny fraction of the market right now. Why hasn’t solar-powered technology caught on before now, and what makes it viable now?
Historically speaking, I think solar technology has suffered the same fate as almost every other revolutionary technology - the fate of being hyped-up to the public long before the existing technology can live up to the promise that the media promote. When the initial results are less than perfect, everyone assumes the technology isn’t viable, and just as quickly as it arrives it’s forgotten.
In the case of older generation solar-powered vehicles, the two key components - the solar collection cells that captured the energy and the battery systems that stored it - were both very limited in their capabilities. Early generation solar cell technology was fragile and not particularly efficient, which meant it would take hours for a relatively small solar cell to generate enough power to drive a cart, and their fragile nature wasn’t ideal for mobility applications such as carts. And until recently, the available battery technologies - even the most popular ones - have been equally limited. Lead acid batteries are heavy, have a very short cycle life, and require a lot of maintenance. When your two key technologies are this limited, it’s easy to understand why solar-powered vehicles haven’t been a strong market competitor.
However, solar and battery storage technologies have both evolved rapidly in the past several years. Solar cells are lighter, stronger, and far more efficient at converting solar radiation into energy, and LiFe PO4 lithium batteries have nearly 5 times more energy density than their lead acid predecessors. As a result, we’ve crossed the technological threshold that enables us to make solar-powered vehicles that are not only good as standard EVs, but in many ways far better.
What makes Lani EV different from other low-speed vehicle manufacturers in terms of technology?
Put simply, the outstanding technological expertise of our people. Our manufacturing team has over 30 years of experience in designing and manufacturing innovative electronic products from carts and mobility solutions to telecom and solar solutions. Unlike many of the other cart and low-speed vehicle makers, we didn’t approach the challenge of creating a truly innovative solar-powered EV by simply retrofitting a petrol or lead-acid powered cart with newer components. We built everything from the ground up - or more precisely, from the sky down - starting with the design of our solar-integrated roof and working our way down. Because we understand the technology so well, we know how to design and build to get the most out of it. The result is a purpose-built line of carts specifically designed to go farther more efficiently and cost-effectively than anything else on the market.
What makes Lani different from other low-speed vehicle manufacturers in terms of vision?
Again, I will point to our people. Our management group is essentially a “special ops” team of individuals with market-first credentials in several industries. The term has been over-used, but we’ve literally created game-changing products ranging from best-selling launch monitors and golf simulators to on-course mobility solutions and low-speed vehicles. I credit our success in these areas to two things - first, our team’s deep experience and expertise in these areas, and second, our ability to envision where the industry should go next and build products that move it there.
Clearly you see solar-powered vehicles as a perfect mobility solution for the golf industry. Why is that?
Solar-powered carts are the perfect mobility solution for golf because, operationally speaking, golf courses provide the perfect setting for taking advantage of every benefit the technology offers. When you consider that a golf cart at a course is usually driven between 8 and 18 miles per day, and that the interest and demand in playing is directly related to weather conditions, you immediately see why our solar-powered carts - which can easily manage the daily driving demands and are always capturing energy and charging the battery system - make perfect sense.
But let’s talk about the impact of not using a modern solar-powered cart fleet.
As of right now, about 60% of on-course golf cart fleets are lead-acid powered. These courses have literally designed their daily operations around the demands of their lead-acid fleet - and the costs associated are significant. First, there’s the costs and personnel required to marshall and maintain every single cart every day. Next, there’s the cost of the charging barn as well as the on-grid electrical fees. And finally, there’s the cost of maintenance - both directly on the fleet, as well as the damage to the grounds from marshalling carts in and out of service. And if you’re running older, lithium-ion powered carts, you’re probably also finding it incredibly expensive to insure your facility due to the high risk of fire.
With our solar-powered carts, every issue I just described is eliminated. First, you massively reduce if not eliminate your need for charging, because in the ideal fair-weather conditions when golfers are playing, our carts are capturing the majority of the power they need even during gameplay. This advantage alone translates into a huge reduction in the personnel needs for marshalling and maintaining the cart fleet while simultaneously reducing charging space and costs. It also means your cart fleet is essentially always ready for guests, which means you can do more with fewer carts.
Can other industries enjoy the same advantages of solar-powered carts that the golf industry is beginning to recognize?
Absolutely. Every industry that uses carts or low-speed vehicles in its daily operations - hospitality, campuses, large industrial facilities, property management - will see an immediate cost-benefit when they upgrade to our technology. And for all the same reasons - freedom from the personnel, maintenance, and on-grid limitations that the older technology demands.
Is there anything else we need to understand about Lani EV’s solar-powered electric vehicles that makes them so compelling?
We haven’t even mentioned one of the most compelling reasons for going solar - the fact that it is a 100% green-capable technology. I use the word “capable” because yes, you might occasionally plug one of our vehicles into the power grid to add some additional charge as needed. But there is simply no other vehicle or technology on the market that is as capable of being as off-grid and environmentally friendly as ours is.
We’re now delivering a solution to the market that, under the right circumstances, might literally never require a charge from the existing power grid. Consider what that means for a moment. Yes, an off-grid, zero-emission golf cart that operates for a fraction of the per-day costs of older golf cart technology translates into a huge win for your business. But also consider the bigger picture. Every time we remove a fleet of carts from the grid, we’re freeing up an increasingly precious resource - electricity - to be used where it’s needed most.
But again, changes like this start by showing the world that a better solution exists, and then convincing the world one step at a time that you’re right. Luckily the Lani Ev team has a lot of experience showing the world where it needs to go next.