Every number wears a receipt.

Sources, in order of authority

1. Manufacturer specification sheets and official product pages
2. Authorized-dealer confirmations (named in the receipt)
3. Government sources for laws (the statute itself, never a summary)

The rules we hold ourselves to

• Every spec, price, and law carries a clickable source and a verification date.
• If we can't source it, we don't publish it — omission over guesswork.
• When a figure ages past its re-verification window, the page says so honestly.
• Comparison "better" marks come from the data contract, not editorial mood.
• Verdict stamps are editorial — and they are never for sale.

How we verify street-legal (LSV) status

A cart is marked a factory Low-Speed Vehicle only when its manufacturer is registered with the LSV vehicle type in the NHTSA vPIC registry — the federal record, not a brand's marketing claim. Carts that reach street-legal use only by a dealer package or self-attestation are labeled convertible. Every model is graded on our certification page.

How the division belts are scored

Within each price class (value, premium, luxury) the belt goes to the best factory-certified LSV, scored from the verified specs across four axes — range, value (price for what you get), power, and warranty. The score is derived from the data, not editorial mood; a cart that isn't a factory LSV can be a contender but never a belt-holder. Our derived figures — normalized range, cost per seat, cost per mile of range, and the deal score — are computed at one fixed efficiency, so every model is measured on the same ruler.

Ratings & reviews

Owner ratings we cite are pulled from a retailer's published data with a source and date; we prefer ratings six months old or newer and never older than a year. We surface low ratings honestly, and we never invent a review or a star count.

Independent and non-biased

No manufacturer or dealer pays for rank, for a belt, or for placement — ever, and no verdict can be bought. Every pick is decided solely on verified specs, cross-checked against the NHTSA vPIC registry. We earn affiliate commissions on some parts links and referral fees when a lead reaches a dealer; neither changes a score or a verdict. See how we make money.

Freshness commitments