EZGO RXV Lithium Conversion Guide

How to Convert EZGO RXV to Lithium

Converting your EZGO RXV from traditional lead-acid batteries to lithium is one of the best upgrades you can make for your golf cart. After helping 1,000+ RXV owners make these conversions since 2023, we can tell you that the biggest thing our customers say is "Wow, I wish I had done that sooner!".

That said, the EZGO RXV has always been a strong performer. And the factory lead-acid battery setup that RXVs come with is a good power system. But in the year 2025, if your RXV doesn't have a lithium battery pack in it you are certainly missing out. So if you're looking to get lots more from your RXV (and I mean really improve your use), converting to lithium will give you some pretty serious advantages over lead-acid power. And we're going to show you how today in this helpful hand-holding guide below!

5 Reasons to Convert Your EZGO RXV to Lithium (Great Benefits)

If your RXV cart has older style lead-acid batteries, these things might sound familiar to your:

• Your cart loses power after short periods of use, or gets "tired" (giving you less power) near the end of it's charge levels
• You sometimes spend hours waiting for your batteries to charge because you forgot to plug your cart in the night before
• Every so often, you are frustrated about having to maintain your batteries (watering them, cleaning them, trickle charging every time you're not driving)

If you have dealt with any of these things... then this RXV lithium conversion guide is exactly what you need. But before we dive into the conversion steps, let's touch quickly on why so many EZGO RXV owners are making the switch to lithium golf cart batteries (and why you will want to). The benefits have litereally changed the entire golf cart industry, forcing all the major brands (like EZGO, Club Car and Yamaha) to begin offering lithium options from the factory. And here's why:

1. Massive Weight Savings

Your factory 12-volt lead-acid batteries (4 of them) weigh a big-old 340 pounds total (85 pounds each). One single lithium battery pack weighs just 100 pounds. That's a 240-pound weight reduction that makes your cart more efficient, faster, and gives you significantly better power-to-weight ratio out of the gate. Your RXV will literally feel like a different machine!

2. Zero Maintenance (We Mean ZERO)

Unlike traditional batteries that require regular watering, cleaning off corrosion, and perfect trickle charging, lithium batteries require absolutely zero maintenance. Charge them when they're low and that's it! No more monthly (or, let's be honest, annual) battery maintenance sessions.

3. Consistent Power Until the Very End

Here's the big one that our customers love. Lithium batteries work just like your cell phone, you could have 3% battery left and still have 100% power available. No more watching your cart slowly die and lose power halfway through your ride.

4. Lightning-Fast Charging

Lithium batteries fully charge in 2-3 hours (with 80% charge in just 1 hour) compared to 8-10 hours for traditional batteries. Game changer for busy lifestyles! And so convenient for those times you forget to plug your cart in.

5. They Live Forever (Almost)

With lithium golf cart batteries, you'll get 8-10 years out of a quality setup, versus 5-6 years from traditional lead-acid batteries. The ECO Battery we're installing today actually comes with a 10-year warranty (that's confidence you can take to the bank)!

What You'll Need for This EZGO RXV Lithium Conversion

For this install, we're using the ECO Battery 48V 105AH Lithium Conversion Kit, which is one of the best kits on the market. This particular EZGO RXV lithium conversion kit is great because of its "through-hole" mounting, which makes installation straightforward and slightly faster than other battery setups.

Still, most lithium conversion kits will be installed in a similar fashion to the one we are using in this article, so if you got ALLIED, Trojan, Dakota, or another brand you can still follow along here for your install.

Here's what comes in most EZGO RXV 48V Lithium Battery Conversion Kit bundles:

• 48V 105AH Lithium Battery: Gives you 40-45 miles of range (awesome for any golf cart!)
• Mounting bracket: To fasten your battery into your cart's battery tray
• On-board charger: Mounts right in your battery tray, charge anywhere with regular house plug
• 110V charging receptacle: Replaces your old factory charge port
• State of charge meter: Basically acts like a fuel gauge on your dash
• Wake-up button: Turn on your battery from dash instead of lifting seat each time
• Voltage reducer: Optional Add-on, protects your 12V accessories like headlights
• Hardware and connectors: To hook everything up

Tools You'll Need for RXV Lithium Conversion

• Socket set (14mm, 13mm, 10mm, 9/16", 1/2", 7mm)
• Torx bits (T50, T45, T30, T27)
• Power drill with 3/8" and 5/8" bits
• Battery strap (this is critical for safely removing heavy 12V RXV batteries)
• Plastic rivet removal tool
• Zip ties and electrical tape
• Permanent marker
• If you are adding a voltage reduce with your new battery, you will need:
  • Wire strippers and crimpers
  • Butt connectors and ring terminals

Step-by-Step EZGO RXV Lithium Conversion

Time Required: One morning or afternoon
Difficulty Level: Moderate DIY (if you can change car batteries, you can do this)
Tools Needed: Socket set, drill, Torx bits, basic hand tools, and wire crimper (if adding voltage reducer)

Take your time with this conversion. It's really not bad if you take it slow. We're going to walk you through every detail to make this as easy as possible!

Step 1: Get Your Cart Ready

Remove the seat (just lifts straight up on RXV models, and pops right off the hinges), flip the run/tow selector to TOW mode (prevents electrical shock), turn ignition to OFF and set your parking brake.

Step 2: Disconnect Existing Battery Cables

Using a 14mm socket, start disconnecting all the battery cables. We won't need most of these anymore, but you will need to keep two cables for your lithium setup: the main positive and main negative (these are the thick cables that run near your controller).

• The main negative (-) is the black wire that runs down beneath the controller
• The main positive (+) is the red wire that runs to your controller
• Pro Tip: Zip-tie any accessory cables (headlights, etc.) that were already with your main positive and main negative, to stay together with them so we don't forget what was connected together when we hook everything back up later

For all the other interconnected cables (between batteries), toss them to the side.

Step 3: Remove Battery Hold Down System

The RXV hold down system has a few attachment points and they're pretty easy to remove:

• Remove three 1/2" nuts on the top plastic bracket
• Remove two T50 Torx screws on the side of the metal arch hold down (one driver side, one passenger side behind controller)
• Pull out the metal arch hold-down bracket
• Then pull out the small plastic top bracket

Note: The side T50 bolts are harder to reach than they look in pictures. Use a ratcheting Torx handle if you have one, regular tools work but it's tighter than you'd think.

Step 4: Remove Old Lead Acid Batteries (The Heavy Part)

Safety Warning: Each 12V battery weighs 85 pounds. Be extra careful lifting these using the small tabs on them.

Use a battery strap and take your time here. You will need a battery strap for the 12V batteries (if these were 6V or 8V, we'd normally give you a hack just using any leather belt aroung your house).

Remove any old J-hooks at this time as well. Once everything is out, clean out your battery tray while you have the tray empty. And keep any loose change you find =)

Step 5: Remove Side Skirts for Cable Run Access

To properly run both your state-of-charge meter cable and wake-up button cable, you need to remove both side skirts using T45 Torx bolts (five per side). These have to come off so you can route your cables properly through the floor. Keep the T45 hardware for reinstall later.

Step 6: Remove Factory Floor Mat

Use your plastic rivet removal tool to remove all eight plastic rivets holding the floor mat. Keep all rivets in a small container or off to the side becuase you'll need them for reassembly later (and they're easy to lose).

Step 7: Remove Cup Holder Assembly (Lower Dash Trim)

Remove 3 x 10mm nuts underneath the cup holder assembly and pull up firmly to lift the cupholder assembly out of the dash. This gives you access to the lower dash area for running cables.

If you have accessories plugged into the dash like USB chargers, either unplug them or make sure you leave enough slack to work around them.

Step 8: Remove Upper Dash Trim

Remove 4 x T30 Torx screws holding the upper dash trim. Note: when you loosen this trim, the entire front cowl becomes loose and will want to fall forward onto the floor. So keep your hand on the cowl as the last T30 Torx comes out, or have someone help hold it for you.

Once all four screws are loose, gently lower the cowl and support it (use an empty box for this). Be careful not to damage your headlight connections.

Step 9: Disconnect Dash Electrical Connections

Disconnect these connections behind the dash:

• Ignition switch connector
• Factory charge meter
• Light connections

Take a photo of any connections with more than one wire before disconnecting. You need to plug them back in the exact same order or your lights (or other accessories) may not work the same as they did before.

Once the connections are loose, you can fully pull your upper dash away from the front of the cart.

Step 10: Remove Factory Charge Meter

With upper dash trim now free. Flip it over, and remove the factory charge meter. To do this, squeeze the tabs on both sides of the factory charge meter and push it forward through the dash opening. You won't need this anymore since the new ECO Battery SOC Meter replaces it.

Step 11: Create Wake-Up Button Hole and Install Components

Mark and drill a 5/8" hole in the dash trim for your wake-up button (wherever you would like for it to live). We like to position it somewhere near the state-of-charge meter hole.

Clean up any plastic burrs from drilling so everything sits flush, then mount the wake-up button in your new hole using the included nut on the back side. The state of charge meter goes right in the factory charge meter location and mounts with the included bracket and 7mm nuts (fits perfectly!).

Step 12: Route The Wake-Up Button Cable

Take your wake-up button cable and route the non-button side of the cable down through the rear of the dash, under the floor channel, and back up into the battery bay. Leave most of the slack in the battery bay to keep things looking clean.

Connect the non-button side of the wake-up cable to the orange communication connector that comes with your battery system. Your wake-up button is now mounted and pre-wired.

Step 13: Route State of Charge Meter Cable

The state of charge meter has two connectors on it. We like to tape them together with painter's tape to protect them (and make routing easier), then route the cable starting in the battery bay, down through the floor channel, and back up behind the dash (same path as the wake-up button cable, in reverse).

Leave the slack in the battery bay for now. And leave the connections loose, we'll hook them up later.

Step 14: Reconnect Dash Wiring

Reconnect all your dash connections:

• Two new state of charge meter connectors, into the back of the new SOC meter
• Wake-up button connector into the wake up button
• Ignition switch back as it was
• Light connections (remember the color order: black on top, red in middle, yellow on bottom)
• Any other connections you had

Step 15: Put Dash Trim Back Together

Reinstall the upper dash trim (four T30 Torx screws), cup holder assembly (three 10mm nuts), and floor mat (all eight plastic rivets).

Reinstall both side skirts (five T45 Torx bolts per side).

Step 16: Install New 110V Universal Charge Port

Remove the factory charge port using four T27 Torx screws.

• With the charge port loose, we will need to disconnect the wiring to pull the unit out
• Cut the zip tie holding together the wires behind your factory charge port
• Set the drive-off-safety wire (blue wire and connector) to the side in the bay, we will need this and come back to this later
• Remove the black and red charge port wire (may need to cut the zip ties we made earlier on the main positive and main negative cables)
• Pull the factory charge port out of your cart

Install the new 110V charge receptacle using the same holes and screws. Pretty straightforward swap here.

Note: You can now charge your cart anywhere with a standard household outlet! No more being tied to your garage charger. One of the major benefits of going lithiuim.

Step 17: Install On-Board Charger

Mount the on-board charger in the battery tray using self-tapping screws through the four mounting tabs.

We recommend mounting the back center of the battery tray. Once it is centered, you will want to position the battery:

• 1" from side ridges (on each side) to the sides of the charger plate.
• 1 and 3/4" from the main center ridge to the front of the charge plate.
• If you're in the right spot, you'll end up behind the second plastic rib in the tray, and pretty dead center in the back.
• This keeps your new OBC clear of where the battery will sit.

With the charger installed, you can now connect the charger cable to your new charge port.

Step 18: Install Voltage Reducer (Highly Recommended)

While not necessary for a Lithium Battery setup, if you have any accessorries at all (and since your RXV likely has headlights from factory) installing a voltage reducer is important to prevent frying your accessories. The reducer takes your battery's 48V output and converts it to 12V to power all your low-voltage items (USB ports, lights, etc.).

Mount the voltage reducer in the rear corner of the battery tray using self-tapping screws. Once mounted, connect the voltage reducer to the voltage reducer harness (that came with the unit).

Step 19: Wire Up Voltage Reducer to Accessories

With the voltage converter connected, we need to prep the remaining loose wires on it to be connected.

1. Cut and strip the red and black wires from the voltage reducer. Also cut and strip your existing accessory wires (headlights, etc.).
2. Use butt connectors to join:
   • Red voltage reducer wire to red accessory wire
   • Black voltage reducer wire to black/negative accessory wire

The voltage reducer also has:

• Small yellow wire: Goes to the battery positive
• Small black wire: Goes to the battery negative
• Orange wire: Goes to your solenoid (this tells the reducer to turn on when cart turns on)

Step 20: Prep Drive-Off Safety Wire

We now need to make our blue drive-off safety wire long enough to hook to our new battery. Grab the blue drive off safety wire in the bay (we set it aside earlier in Step 16). If your drive-off-safety wire is inside a plastic loom, peel the loom back to make some slack.

Once the blue wire has enough slack, cut the end off (with the connector on it). Strip the end of the wire back and install a ring terminal. This wire connects to the positive terminal of your new lithium battery. Set it aside until final hookup.

Step 21: Access Controller/Solenoid

Use your plastic rivet tool to remove the three plastic rivets on the factory controller cover (with the warning sticker on it, near the run/tow switch).

Carefully remove the controler cover and set your rivets aside as well (we're putting this all back on in a minute).

Step 22: Connect Orange Voltage Reducer Wire to Solenoid

Find the 13mm nut on your solenoid (it's the only nut with a bar going down to the controller). Loosen the nut and remove, place the orange wire from your voltage reducer on the stud, and then retighten down. Put the controller cover back on.

Your voltage reducer now has power.

Step 23: Install Battery Mounting Bracket

We now need to install our mounting bracket in the middle of battery tray. For ECO Battery, we will be 4¼" from both edges of the battery tray ridges (this ensures perfect centering). We will also be ¾" down from the top edge on both side ridges. Once we have found the spot, make a mark with your permanent marker. This is where we wil make our new 3/8" holes.

With your holes drilled, mount the thru-hole bracket using 1/2" bolts.

Step 24: Install Your Lithium Battery

Carefully lower that new ECO battery into the tray (so much easier than those lead-acid ones). Thread the mounting rod down through the battery and into the bracket below.

Place the mounting plate over the rod and secure with the included 9/16" nut. Then tighten down nice and firm. This is the heart of your EZGO RXV 48v Lithium Battery system!

Battery Positioning: The ECO battery should sit with terminals facing toward the controller on an RXV. Double-check positioning before fully tightening that mounting rod.

Step 25: Connect Battery Electrical (Almost There!)

Negative Terminal (using 13mm socket):

• Main negative cable
• Charger negative cable
• Voltage reducer black wire
• Any other negative accessory wires

Positive Terminal:

• Main positive cable
• Charger positive cable
• Voltage reducer yellow wire
• Drive-off safety wire (blue with ring terminal)

Step 26: Connect Communication Cables

• Plug your wake-up button connector to COM 1 port
• Plug your state of charge meter connector to COM 2 port
• Charger CAN cable to state of charge meter CAN port

Install those terminal protectors over both battery terminals when you're done (red with red, black with black).

Step 27: Fire It Up and Test

Switch from TOW to RUN mode, press and hold the battery power button until green light appears. Check that wake-up button lights up green on dash and state of charge meter shows battery percentage (it will be somewhere below 100% on any new battery).

Test forward and reverse operation.

Warning: Charge your battery to 100% before your first drive! Just like a new cell phone, you want the battery to learn its charge cycle. Your state of charge meter will likely show around 50% when first installed (this is completely normal). So plug your cart in and wait till 100% before you go drive.

Welcome to the Future: Lithium Power!

Congrats! You've just completed one of the best upgrades you can make on your EZGO RXV. An EZGO RXV Lithium Battery Conversion is about much more than just replacing your batteries. It's about reliability, performance, and peace of mind.

At $2,800 with an 10-year warranty, this kit give you professional results with an installation that most cart owners can handle in one morning. And honestly, once you experience the instant torque and consistent power delivery of lithium, you'll wonder why you waited so long to make the switch.

Need Help? We're Here for You!

If you have any questions about your EZGO RXV Lithium Conversion, don't hesitate to reach out to our Golf Cart Expert Team at 1-844-422-7884. Along with tires, we are the leaders in golf cart batteries and conversions; and we're always happy to help make sure you get the right setup for your cart and your needs. We sell more lithium conversions than anybody else online, and we guarantee your satisfaction!