Kit Selection Guide

Electric Beach Wagon and Beach Cart Kits

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Step 1: Determine what rear wheels, axle, and sprocket types the project will have.

2-Wheel Drive: Beach carts and beach wagons that will be used in the sand or off-road will need to have two wheel drive with the motor powering both of the rear wheels through a live axle otherwise there will not be enough traction. If the project already has two rear wheels powered by a live axle then you are all set and just need to measure the wheel's diameter (distance from bottom to top of the tire). If the project does not yet have two rear wheels powered by a live axle then that part of the project will need to be sorted out before moving forward. If you are starting from scratch then go-kart wheels, axles, and axle mounting parts are most commonly used for these types of projects and they can be obtained through online go-kart parts stores.

Freewheel or Fixed Sprocket: There are options for having an axle sprocket that freewheels so the beach wagon or cart can be pulled without any resistance from the motor. When a freewheel is used then the motor can operate in the forward direction only and the wagon or cart cannot have reverse. Beach wagons and carts with freewheeling sprockets sometime have mechanical brakes if they will be used to go down hills. Another option is to have an axle sprocket that is fixed to the axle and does not freewheel, with this option a kit with reverse can be used so the motor can power the wagon or cart in both forward and reverse directions. A fixed sprocket will also allow the motor to provide braking to help keep downhill speeds under control.

Motor or Mechanical Braking: When a fixed sprocket is used the motor will provide quite a bit of braking power when the throttle is released and the motor will hold the beach wagon or cart still on flat ground for parking. If a beach wagon or cart needs to be brought to a fast or complete stop when going downhill then a mechanical brake may need to be installed. If a freewheel sprocket is used then a mechanical brake may need to be installed to slow down or stop the beach wagon or cart when going downhill. Lightweight beach wagons and carts with light load may be able to be slowed down and stopped by hand when going downhill so a mechanical brake may not be needed.

Get to Know Our Sprockets: Both freewheel and fixed sprocket to axle options can be explored on our Sprockets Page and it is good to get to know the sprockets that are available before using the calculators in step 2.

Get to Know Our Gear Motors: It is also good to get to know the gear motors that are available on our Motors Page before using the calculators in step 2. To obtain the proper gear ratio and top speed, gear motors need to be used for electric beach wagons and carts. Gear motors are motors with a gear reduction transmission built into them so their output shaft spins at a significantly lower speed than a standard electric motor's output shaft spins at. Motor power chart made using our calculators.

Gear It for Your Walking Speed: The average walking speed for most people is around 3 MPH, however, many people who have geared beach wagons and carts for a top speed of 3 MPH have found it to be a little too slow and have regeared them to go around 4 MPH. Do not be tempted to gear the beach wagon or cart to go faster than walking speed otherwise it may not have enough power.

Don't Confuse Torque with Horsepower: Electric motors need to be running at their fastest speed in order to produce the most amount of power. Electric motors have a high amount of torque at all speeds however torque x RPM = horsepower, so the motor needs to be spinning at its highest RPM in order to produce the most amount of horsepower.

Step 2: Determine the motor power requirement, gear ratio, and sprocket sizes using the Drivetrain Parts Selection Guide.

Step 3: Determine the Voltage of the required motor by looking at the available kits and then estimate the battery pack Ah rating using the Battery Pack Ride Time Calculator. For beach wagons and carts we recommend selecting "Flat with Some Hills" or "Mostly Hills' in the calculator and think of hills as being sand which can likewise require a lot of power to drive though.

Step 4: Use the worksheet below to record the calculated and estimated parameters and use the worksheet to narrow down which kit and sprockets to use.

Step 5: Browse for the right kit using out Kits Page or search for the right kit using our Search Page.

Step 6: If you found the perfect kit for your project however need it with a smaller or larger battery pack, different style throttle or switch, or with any other changes, then Create a Support Ticket to request a new version of the kit.