Low Speed Vehicle FAQ

Got a question about a low speed vehicle? You've come to the right place. Here are the most common questions we receive from people buying low speed vehicles. If you're looking to purchase an electric vehicle for sale or buying a street legal golf cart, you can also browse through some of the common electric vehicle questions and street legal golf cart questions we get. In addition to our low speed vehicles for consumers, we also carry electric shuttles, commercial electric vehicles, and emergency service vehicles. As always, if you can't find what you're looking for, contact us today.

Q: What are the differences between low-speed electric vehicles and Smart cars?
A: If there's one thing that's common within the low-speed electric vehicle market it's that there are many different ways to same the exact same thing. Between street legal golf carts, electric vehicles, Smart cars and electric cars, it can be hard to determine what you're really getting with each of them and which one is going to best suit your needs. Smart cars are actually a brand of vehicle that are gas-powered and typically get anywhere from 33-41mpg. These have more similarities with your traditional full-size car and operate exactly the same. Electric cars are full-size vehicles that operate exactly like normal cars and don't need gas to go; they operate purely on charge. Low-speed electric vehicles are an entirely different breed of car. They're significantly smaller than full-size vehicles, can go up to 25MPH, and operate solely on electric charge. Street legal golf carts are just one type of low-speed electric vehicle that you could purchase.

Q: Where are the major components of your low-speed electric vehicles made?
A: At Road Rat Motors, we do everything we can to support our national economy. Our low speed electric vehicles parts are all products of America. Parts ranging from the controller, charger, and batteries used on all of the low speed electric vehicles we have for sale are made in the USA. All of our low speed electric vehicles are assembled at our headquarters in Gainesville, Florida near the University of Florida campus.

Q: Will I need a special plug to charge up one of your low-speed electric vehicles?
A: There are many low-speed electric vehicles that may require a special wall plug-in/outlet to fit the plug formatted, but not with our low-speed electric vehicles! There is no need for any high-tech, fancy plug installations for your home so you won’t have to be spending any additional money just to get things up and running. Our low-speed vehicles use a standard wall outlet on board charger.

Q: When did low speed electric vehicles first hit the market?
A: Low speed electric vehicles first hit public streets in 2007 in the China; here, they were called "e-jeepneys" or minibuses and were regarded as the first public vehicle of its kind in Asia. Using power from biodegradable waste, these electric vehicles were plugged into your typical electrical socket to charge instead of using fuel. Soon after, low speed electric vehicles came to the United States, and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration applied the laws that are still in existence today. With these, it also required LSVs to have 3-point seat belts, running lights, headlights, brake lights, rear view mirrors, and blinkers. In fact, doors are completely optional on low speed electric vehicles.