Royal Dornoch invests in STAR EV buggies

By Alistair August 31, 2023 07:44

Royal Dornoch Golf Club in Scotland, known to many as the ‘star of the north’, has taken delivery of seven lithium-ion STAR EV Capella 2 Pro golf buggies from the UK distributor Reesink Scotland.

Most utility vehicles and golf buggies in the UK’s golf clubs are powered by lead acid batteries. Now with the option of lithium-ion, which is far superior, making the switch to the latest technology offering in this area is the logical next step. And STAR EV is fast proving itself to be the preferred option.

Take Royal Dornoch for example, when it replaced its fleet of buggies, it made the switch from lead acid to lithium-ion with STAR EV as Royal Dornoch general manager, Neil Hampton, explains:

“It was time to replace our fleet of buggies which were eight years old, and it was a logical decision to choose lithium-ion.

“The technology in this area has come on exponentially since we invested in it eight years ago and STAR EV came top for price and value in our research. Plus, we knew the support would be good as the buggies were coming from Reesink Scotland whom we’ve worked with for years.”

Lithium-ion batteries are not only superior in terms of reliability and efficiency (95 percent compared to 75 percent of lead-acid) but are also safer to use. They charge faster, are more durable and able to withstand harsher environments, allow quick and partial charging without getting damaged, lose power much more slowly during discharge, waste less energy and require no maintenance, which saves on additional costs and time.

Not to mention the environmental advantages such as releasing no emissions or leaks while being charged, no expense of topping up with de-ionised water, or toxic chemicals being released in their manufacturing and recycling process. This is why, when Reesink started its e-Vehicles division, it made a very conscious decision to use only lithium and sealed, maintenance-free AGM battery options.

Plus, they are smaller and lighter, which is something Neil can attest to: “Royal Dornoch is essentially a walking course and the buggies used at the venue are for medical reasons. We can tell the STAR EV buggies are light on their feet, which was a top consideration in the purchasing decision, as we’ve been watching wear patterns on the grassed pathways.”

And when it comes to all the other aspects of lithium-ion vs lead acid, that’s something Neil involved his mechanic in: “We got our mechanic to check over all the vehicles we demoed, and STAR EV was collectively chosen as the best all-round.”