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This all started when Club Car, the golf cart maker, alluded to itself as one of the original electric vehicle companies. 

Why it matters: That's not strictly true. But this once-sleepy company is reimagining how we travel around town and how we think about "community" itself. 

And true to its modest roots, it's almost all due to a little plastic table. 

Driving the news: This spring, Club Car introduced the CRU, a six-passenger "neighborhood electric vehicle" purpose-built for drives around town.

The intrigue: The $30,000 cart features rear seats arranged around a rotating, removable plastic table — a feature Club Car refers to as "the lounge." 

What they're saying: "It's instant socialization," Club Car consumer portfolio lead Daniel Dykstra says. "We wanted people to say, 'Why didn't I think about that?'"

Catch up quick: Club Car's carts have been tooling around country clubs, college campuses and retirement communities since the 1950s. 

It's also had several street models: The Pathway was built in collaboration with GM in 2002, followed by versions of the Carryall and Villager spurred by federal tax credits enacted in October 2008.

Yes, but: Those all closely resembled conventional golf carts.

The company didn't start dreaming up the CRU until 2016, when advances in electric powertrains — and new demand for "utility" carts — began painting the outlines of a sexier (I said what I said) golf cart of the future. 

What they did: Club Car hired BMW Designworks, which took inspiration from RVs, yachts and pontoon boats. 

After experimenting with bulbous windshields, accordion-style extensions and even a tabletop arcade cabinet similar to the Galaga console at the corner dive bar, they settled on the table. 

"You're socializing, you're having fun, you're in the environment," Dykstra says.

By the numbers: 75% of the carts that Club Car sells are electric. The figure for General Motors: 2%

Maybe Club Car is one of the original EV makers after all.

1 big thing: A self-proclaimed EV O.G.

Stella the dog loved trips in the CRU. Photos: Alan Neuhauser

Club Car arranged for a fully charged CRU to be dropped off at my home outside Providence, R.I., in June, just a few weeks after we moved in.

What happened: Driving can be a drag — but not when you're ripping around town in a near-silent open-air cart.

I drove it to the local beach, the grocery store, the dog park, nightly ice cream runs — any excuse I could think of to get behind the wheel.

Plus, if there's a sure way to meet the neighbors, it's with a golf cart.

Range: 20 miles. Roughly four ice cream runs.

Charge time: At least eight hours from zero to 100%. Glacial.

The rotating table. You can invite friends over for apps, take them to the beach for sunset, and the next day drive your home office to the park. 

High seating position with great visibility — taller than some SUVs.

Slow charge, unreliable charge meter. The meter never overstated the charge level — but it consistently underestimated it. Club Car says it's working on a software fix.

Soft brakes. Hair-raising the first few times approaching an intersection.

Tinny speakers, bare-bones infotainment system. I know, it's a golf cart — but a $30,000 golf cart. 

Bottom line: This was the first loaner vehicle I was truly sad to return. 

I always thought I'd one day buy a convertible. Now I'm certain it'll be a golf ca..., ahem, neighborhood electric vehicle.

2. The BFD: CRUising the neighborhood

A photo of a white Club Car CRU, depicting the table in the back.

The table in the back rotates and can be removed. 

My wife and I have a 2-year-old daughter, so driving a loaner often means regularly inserting and removing a car seat for trips to and from daycare.

Why it matters: Some cars are great with kids. Others, less so.

What I found: As you might guess, the CRU isn't compatible with car seats. So no toddlers on-board while in motion.

Yes, but: She loved having snacks at the table outside.

3. Parent's corner

Club Car is planning to switch to more versatile battery materials, but global supply chains remain a challenge.

Why it matters: The Club Car CRU relies on relatively old tech: lead-acid batteries that charge slowly and have limited range.

"We're going to a lithium version of the battery to take weight out of the car and put more energy into the same physical space," Dykstra says.

Reality check: Club Car hadn't planned to sell a $30,000 golf cart.

But the supply chain upheavals and raw material shortages challenging every automaker also create headwinds for Club Car.

What they're saying: "We would love to get this experience to a lower price point," Dykstra says. "When we created this product we thought we could get it to market for a lot less than we are right now."

Yes, but: The vehicle is profitable — suggesting there may be little incentive for Club Car to cut prices.

Of note: The Augusta, Georgia-based company is owned by private equity firm Platinum Equity — an industry typically allergic to any measure that might shrink margins.

Plus: Neighborhood electric vehicles are already luxury vehicles by default.

Their limited range means they'll never be someone's only car. They're purely a nice-to-have.

Upmarket players like Garia — acquired last year by Club Car — make models that can fetch $80,000.

What we're watching: The Biden administration's signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act, excluded neighborhood electric vehicles from the raft of incentives offered for EVs.

"We aren't aware of any revival effort," Brian Willis, communications director for the trade group Zero Emission Transportation Association, says. "But D.C. is a pretty big town when it comes to policy priorities and initiatives."

4. What's next

The seats in front can flip direction to face backward, adding seating to the "lounge" area. 

Data: Small Vehicle Resource; Chart: Thomas Oide/Axios

New manufacturers are flooding the market for "neighborhood electric vehicles" as street-legal carts have become the No. 1 market segment, ahead of even traditional golf course carts.

State of play: There used to be just three major cart manufacturers in the U.S.: Club Car, E-Z-Go and Yamaha. Now there are at least a dozen — all focusing on street-legal models.

"The big three have become not-so-big," says Stephen Metzger, who leads research firm Small Vehicle Resource. 

What's happening: Even with supply chain headaches, street-legal carts are relatively cheap to produce, have fewer safety requirements and are easier to ship in bulk than conventional cars. 

"This is a very cost-effective product," Metzger says.

By the numbers: Street-legal models swelled to 44% of the cart market last year — edging ahead of the "fleet" sector largely made up by golf courses, according to data from Small Vehicle Resource.

Street-legal carts are on track to hit 60% of the market by 2030. 

Of note: The street-legal segment includes both electric and internal-combustion models.

Yes, but: About 75% of the carts that Club Car sells are electric. The figure for General Motors: 2%.

5. Small carts, big business

Welcome back to Climate Deals: Wheels! Alan Neuhauser here after our summer break, bringing you something a little different this week — the Club Car CRU. 

And yes, it's entirely changed how I think about driving and which cars I plan to buy.

That's it! Thanks to George Moriarty and Brad Bonhall for edits, and thank you for tuning in to wheels.

We've got plenty more of these in the works; see you next time!

September 16, 2023

1 big thing: A self-proclaimed EV O.G.