The REAL Difference Between Electric And Petrol Karting
Join me as I explore the differences between petrol and electric karts, to help you figure out which might suit you better.
I've spent some time on different tracks with each type and noticed some interesting differences in how they handle, especially when it comes to acceleration and cornering. Whether you're curious about the competitive rush of petrol karts or the sleek efficiency of electric ones, you'll get a clear picture of what each type can offer.
I’ll also talk about the venues where these karts are available and what you can expect from them. From competitive racing to a more casual outing with friends, each type of venue offers something unique. Whether you're looking to start a new hobby, beginner karting tips or just want to have some fun, I hope this comparison gives you a good starting point.
Feel free to drop your preferences in the comments and let me know if there's more you'd like to learn about karting. I'm here to help you get started on this exciting journey!
▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 - Introduction
0:24 - Petrol Karts Characteristics
0:39 - Electric Karts Characteristics
1:06 - Handling Differences
1:54 - Petrol Venues
2:20 - Electric Venues
3:18 - Which One Do I Like The Most?
3:42 - Conclusion
3:52 - Outro
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In the UK electric karting has a good amount of competition. Mainly because the largest indoor karting company here is switching all it's tracks to electric, and they hold the BIKC at an electric track now. Petrol still has way more competition outdoors though. Electric karts just don't seem as good outdoors anyway imo. The biggest issue is that you can't really use them for endurance races, the strategy would be very different if you have to charge the karts every 30 minutes.
Oh, that's actually great to know and something to look into. So a lot of tracks are owned by the same company? In Belgium it's usually small business owners that have them, or the entertainment centers I've mentioned. Only some, like WorldKarts have multiple tracks. And your point for the electric karts is very much true. A lot of competitions here are endurance races. The electric venue hosts their race on custom karts, presumably with a bigger battery and they look quite a bit more DIY than their rentals. Other than that most races are at least 30-60 minutes, so only petrol can really do that. I've done a review at an electric place, I had full access and the master controls, and after 25 minutes the kart couldn't make it up the slope anymore and a "low battery" light came on. this was on Rimo Karts, so very well known in these parts. Seems like even if they would last an hour, they really degrade in performance as the battery gets drained. Granted they hold a charge for 2 sessions, most likely it starts being noticable after half the battery has been drained. Anyway, thanks for your input, I'll go check out the scene later this year when I go to the U.K.!
Great analysis! As a casual rental driver who also frequents both petrol and electric venues in Belgium I came to the same conclusions. While I do enjoy electric karting from time to time I do 100% prefer the vibe in the petrol venues. For me it is a completely different impression when i arrive at a petrol track with the sound of the engines, the smell of fuel and oil, the crowd who´s there purely for the karting, passionate staff, etc Vs An arcade venue where u have to walk by bowling lanes, climbing walls, escape rooms to arrive at the actual kart track. It almost always draws a different kind of crowd and the focus is usually more on a fun night out than racing. I feel with petrol karts u just get more value for ur money (if u are a motorsport enthousiast and there for the racing)
Exactly the same opinion
Hey, thanks! Tried giving it as objectively as I could for the tracks that I know. Just like you mention, the vibe and thrill of a petrol kart is a big plus for a lot of people. Electric is more a choice of convenience for a lot, to get everyone in a group to kart and maybe go to a more central location and do something else like bowling after. 3 sessions are over in no time if you're enjoying an evening out with friends. By the way, are you refering to Yeti, with the climbing walls? They've got their stuff set up in that exact order on the way to the pits, so yeah. x) With the value for money, it depends. Electric tends to have sessions of 8-10 minutes for about the same amount as petrol, but then social deal and other deals can make that a lot more interesting. But then I know of one petrol place that has a 50-session purchase available for 550 euro, so there's also that. And the petrol sessions tend to be longer. As for thrill per euro, I do agree with you fully!
@@BadDriverKarts haha yes good guess ;) Yeti was the perfect example to make this point. Besides not really having that motorsports vibe, the track itself is not too bad tho (albeit a bit small which can make it difficult to put down a quick lap if there is a lot of traffic). And the karts are modern and quick.
Hey! What is the name of the track at 0:41, looks pretty decent for an electric karting :D
That's Ekart, Gent. It's part of the American sports bar (upstairs). It has really good staff and the track is super fun if you just want high speed electric rental. Electric is usually a bit slower paced. If you go to those parts, check out Yeti in Eeklo too. A 600m long electric track!
what this karting track name please,the caber is crazy
It’s called goodwill karting in Olen, Belgium
Yeah, exactly, Goodwill Karting in Olen. The corner you're talking about is open during sunny days for rental karters, if rainy then it's only the indoor track!
@@BadDriverKarts I am going this friday, I hope that it will be sunny because the track seems great with the outdoor sections, the indoor not so much.
@@thib7707 I literally just came back of it :D
@@thib7707 Should be fine, doesn't seem to be any rain announced. Pretty sure I saw the outside track being open yesterday too, but that was sunny, of course. As for the inside track, it's less fun than having the outside bits, and it looks like just a bunch of hairpins and straights on first sight, but I enjoy it very much as an indoor-only track, actually. I'd advise to go on busy days and in busy sessions for the indoors. Even though there's NPC's, it's good fun because of the sheer amount of good drivers that frequent the place.