Go karting enthusiasts have more options these days than they’ve ever had in the past. It used to be if you wanted a cool go kart, you took the gas engine out of your dads john deer lawnmower without his permission and you faced the consequences later.

Now with the significant increase in technology over the last 10 years, you have the ability to choose an electric powered cart over a gas powered one. The real question is, “which one is better”? Really that’s a decision only you can make, but with some knowledge and research, you’ll be sure to make the best decision for yourself.

Gas Powered Go Kart

Pros:

1. Power – a gas engine will have more horsepower and therefore a greater top speed than an electric engine
2. Ride time – you’ll have longer ride times with a gas powered kart, whereas an electric kart will need to be charged more often.
3. Durability

Cons:

1. Safety – less suitable for children due to the increase in speeds
2. Emissions – due to the gas being used, fumes are emitted and therefore riders risk inhaling the fumes, not great for indoor tracks
3. Maintenance costs – gas engines have more mechanical parts and therefore more problems can arise.

Electric Powered Go Kart

Pros:

1. Safety – more suitable for younger children, speeds and chances of rollovers are decreased significantly
2. Maintenance costs – with less mechanical parts to have problems you’re overall cost will be much less
3. Emissions – with a battery powered kart there are NO emissions. This is safer for your child as well as the environment.
4. Price – prices are usually around $200 dollars whereas a gas powered kart can be up to $500

Cons:

1. Ride time – for every minute of riding you need one minute of charge time. This reduces ride time significantly.
2. Power – even though technology has improved vastly over the years, electric go karts still can’t perform quite as well as a gas powered one in terms of sheer power.
3. Durability – most electric carts built for the consumer market tend to be built with lower quality frames because they aren’t made for high performance.

So as you can see there are many pros and cons to each type of go cart. In my opinion they seem to be evenly matched and it basically will come down to your personal preferences and what is best for your situation. Many indoor race tracks use both electric and gas, so you could go and try out both before you make your decision.

Whatever you choose, I know you’ll have a ton of fun and make a lot of memories with your family. So get out there and have a go!