County of St. Paul FTR Golf Carts 

Overview 

As part of the Electric Vehicles for Municipalities program the County of St. Paul purchased and received funding to cover 30% of the associated cost of two new solar powered FTR golf carts. The new golf carts will be used at the County’s Lac Bellevue and Stoney Lake campgrounds throughout the spring and summer months. The golf carts are equipped with high end solar panels which ensure the carts run longer while keeping the carbon footprint down. When parked outdoors, the dual solar panel technology on the roof of the carts will charge the batteries to keep the carts energized throughout the day.  

Approach 

The County added the two new golf carts to their fleet in 2023. The new carts will lead to significantly reduced fuel costs, maintenance costs, and disruptive noise compared to the previous internal combustion engine carts. Each cart is equipped with a 105 amp-hour lithium-ion battery which has a charge time of 5 hours from zero to 100%. The solar drive system has a 20-year life span and comes with a 5-year warranty. The FTR golf carts were purchased from FTR Golf based out of Wainwright, Alberta.  

Results 

The two electric FTR golf carts will emit approximately 80% less GHG emissions compared to the previous gas Kubota units they are replacing. Annually the electric mowers will reduce the County of St. Paul’s GHG emissions by roughly 4.23 t/CO₂e per year. 

Purchasing these two units aids the County of St. Paul in achieving our goals in Greenhouse gas emission reduction targets and long-term sustainability. The County of St Paul is excited to be on the cutting edge of technology and innovation. We are looking forward to adopting further energy efficient solutions in the future.

Ron Dechaine, Regional Municipal Energy Manager

With the purchase of these electric golf carts our County continues to move towards reducing the negative environmental impact in the region. In addition to helping the environment, these electric vehicles will reduce the County’s operating expenses within the Recreation Department. These vehicles are quiet and better serve the needs of our Park Attendants.

Tim Mahdiuk, Director of Community Services