The Short Distance Driving Market is Emerging
Driving to church this Sunday, at a busy intersection in Boca Raton, Florida, a Club Car Onward made a quick left turn in front of us. My wife commented, “Golf cars are everywhere!” Indeed, they may not be everywhere, exactly, but they are more and more observable on public roads in the midst of traffic.
Casual conversations about GCTs and short distance driving (SDD)
Golf car-type (GCT) vehicle sightings are now quite commonplace. At a recent social event, a conversation turned to the subject when the person I was talking to revealed that he had recently purchased a Club Car Cru. When asked how he liked it, his response was, “Love it!” He went on to mention that driving the CRU was just plain relaxing and enjoyable. He also said that his wife does all the shopping with their other golf car. Wow! A two golf car family!
Is sunny South Florida the exception, being conducive to open-air driving? No, municipalities all over the country are engaging, or have engaged, in000 formulating rules of the road the road GCT vehicles. (By far, of course, these fall into the category of low-speed vehicles, or LSVs, which meet federal certification standards street legal operation.)
Local regulations can be quite restrictive, or can be less so, depending on traffic conditions which pertain to the particular locality. Thus, GCTs in some areas may only be used to drive to and from the golf course. In other areas, they can be used virtually everywhere, except on state and federal highways. It should also be noted that in some states street legal GCTs can be driven on roads with speed limits up to 45 mph. (in most states it’s up to 35 mph.)
GCTs are adaptable to local conditions and policies
Some in the industry have advocated for broader and more liberal federal regulation, so that there can be consistent standards across state and local jurisdictions.
The counter-argument is that there is, in fact, a wide variety of road and traffic conditions which characterize local areas, and accommodating the slower moving GCT is not yet mainstream. Put in the context of the general trend adapting to other forms of emobility (ebikes, motorized skateboards, scooters, etc.), it is not so difficult to predict a similar adaptation will take place for GCTs
Second component of SDD: the last-mile delivery market
Vehicles used, so far, in last mile delivery services are conventional automobiles and light duty pickups or vans. In densely populated urban areas ecargo bikes are widely used. Utility GCTs are now a serious focus of Club Car, after a number of years promoting their golf-oriented utility vehicle line, CarryAll.
The Club Car Urban is specifically designed to enter and exploit the last mile delivery market. It has the much needed fully-enclosed and weatherized cab to assure use in all weather conditions. In addition, the company now has a fully committed sales team to support market entry and expansion. This is not a market that is conducive to walk-in customers at the dealer’s showroom.
Canadian entry in the SSD space
Simolo Customs, Ltd., based in British Columbia has pioneered the used of GCT vehicles in Canada. The company has entries in both the SDD market and in the last mile delivery market. Obviously located in a northern weather clime, their vehicles feature fully enclosed driver and passenger cabs. To drive the point home, much of their promotional literature features the management team, bundled up in down coats and jackets with a snowy backdrop. While open air driving may not be out of the question, Simona’s vehicles are designed for all weather use.. The mid set of year-around use is clearly embedded in the company’s thinking.
Already producing a wide range of models for the consumer and for the workplace, the company is planning a major model introduction for 2028, with prototypes in hand, and taking orders for future delivery. These vehicles also can be fully enclosed. Hopefully, the company will exhibit at the next PGA Show and show-off the eye-catching prototypes it is planning to commercialize.
Speaking of the PGA Show coming up in 2025, here is what in the works for spotlighting the GCTs (i.e., LSVs) in the next show.
Upcoming PGA Show 2026
It is not too early to be thinking about the PGA Show 2026, next January. Proposals have already been made to highlight street legal LSVs and put a focus on the short distance driving and last mile delivery markets, while not neglecting golf. Also, the possibility of an alternative venue has been proposed. If this develops, it will be featured in future articles. Either way, here are some “hope-to-sees”:
• New styles, coordinating open air driving and enclosable frames allowing detachable hard frames;
• Autonomous, or semi-autonomous driving technology;
• Geofencing tracks with scheduled demos;
• New driver and passenger safety devices and systems;
Finally,
• LSV manufacturers’ exhibits in close proximity to one another, along with complementary parts, accessory, and technology providers: In effect, a show within a show.
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Contact the Author: Steve Metzger at smetzger@smallvehicleresource.com. Or check out our website at www.smallvehicleresource.com, where you will find an extensive database of vehicle models and can make side-by-side comparisons of vehicles based on a full set of specifications.
