Ten years after introducing its first ‘Downhill Control’ model, electric trolley brand Motocaddy is extending the option across all of its compact M-Series trolleys released this year.
The new line up of M-Series models with Automatic Downhill Control are the M1 DHC, M3 PRO DHC, M5 GPS DHC and the M-TECH. Each trolley can maintain a constant speed while moving down a gradient and comes with an electronic parking brake and all-terrain wheels. The soon-to-be-released M7 REMOTE trolley will also offer the DHC feature and is set to take ‘hands-free’ golf to a new level.
Both the M3 PRO and M-TECH models also feature full colour LCD screens, while the M5 GPS version is the world’s first compact-folding electric trolley to include a fully-integrated GPS system built into a touchscreen display.
These M-Series models share a ‘SlimFold’ design that offers a smaller folded footprint for easy car boot transportation and storage and are powered by lightweight lithium batteries. All Motocaddy trolleys feature a USB charging port, Adjustable Distance Control and a free accessory station as standard.
“Extending DHC models across the M-Series provides golfers with more than just a greater choice of styles and functions to confront slopes on the fairways,” said Motocaddy’s marketing manager Oliver Churcher. “DHC trolleys can also help them avoid potential injury by reducing the strain on knees, hips and ankles when going down hills. That’s one of the reasons why the popularity of DHC trolleys is rapidly growing at pace, especially in the UK market.”
Back in 2010, Motocaddy launched a twin-motor model designed to offer golfers hands-free golf and take more of the strain out of playing hilly courses. It proved popular among golfers in countries like Switzerland, Germany and Austria who appreciated its stability on courses where a traditional trolley would freewheel down a slope. Compared to the modern versions, the original DHC trolley was heavy in weight, since it incorporated two motors working in unison. It was also heavy on power, requiring a big lead-acid battery, so tended to creep down the hill when parked.
The big breakthrough came in 2015 with the development of new Motocaddy technology that made it possible to use a single motor to achieve even better results than the twin motors. In conjunction with the lighter motor able to control speed on the steepest slopes, the addition of the brand’s exclusive solenoid electronic parking brake proved to be the ultimate game changer.
“It’s a more technological equivalent of a car handbrake,” said Motocaddy Director Paul Straker who worked on the original DHC designs. “We also added a limited slip to the differential in the gearbox, which avoided the prospect of power pulsing from one wheel to another and creating spin, especially in wet conditions. The additional of all-terrain wheels also made a crucial difference.”
Since 2016, Motocaddy has incorporated DHC options across several of its best-selling trolleys in the UK market, powered by a streamlined Lithium battery that proved to be the final piece in the jigsaw as the practical value and unrivalled control became more evident to regular golfers. An increasing number of them also appreciated that the benefit of DHC technology was not confined to hilly courses, as every golf course has varying degrees of slope – even if only around tees and greens.
“According to our research, DHC models are seen by golfers to make the game more relaxing and enjoyable. Gone are the days when they need to position the trolley at an angle to secure it on the slope or worry about the trolley freewheeling down a hill,” added Churcher.