Think back to when touchscreen phones first appeared – at the time they felt completely revolutionary, yet now we barely think twice about swiping through maps, messages and apps. Electric trolleys have evolved in much the same way. If your current trolley still carries your clubs around 18 holes without complaint, it’s perfectly reasonable to wonder why you’d ever need to replace it. But modern electric trolleys now do far more than simply take the weight of your bag. Over the last few years, they’ve become smaller to store, smarter to control and much more useful out on the course. So, how much has really changed? Smaller when you’re not using them One of the most noticeable developments has been how compact electric trolleys have become. Older models could take up a surprising amount of room in the car boot or garage, whereas PowaKaddy’s Compact Technology (CT) range was developed specifically to reduce that footprint. They use PowaKaddy’s Simple-2-Fold system to collapse the frame into a much tighter package, making them easier to transport and store alongside your golf bag, shoes and everything else you take to the course. For golfers who already own a reliable trolley, that might not sound revolutionary – but if you regularly find yourself wrestling everything into the boot, it’s the kind of improvement you notice every round. More control on the course Modern trolleys have also become much better at managing changing terrain. PowaKaddy’s Electronic Braking System, or EBS, provides assisted braking on downhill sections so the trolley is less likely to run away from you when the course starts to slope. It can also help maintain a more consistent pace uphill, reducing the amount of constant adjustment needed at the control dial. That becomes particularly useful as we head into autumn, when wet turf, heavier ground and slippery slopes can make controlling a loaded trolley more demanding. It’s still important to keep hold of the trolley and stay in control on steeper or looser ground, but EBS is a good example of how modern designs are doing more of the hard work for you. Your trolley can now help with course management Perhaps the biggest change is what now sits on the handle. On GPS-equipped models, the screen has become much more than a basic distance readout. Current PowaKaddy GPS trolleys can show hole maps, front/middle/back distances, hazards, shot distance and score information, while features such as Active Green View and Drop Pin let you move the flag position on the screen to better match where it actually sits on the green. So the trolley has gradually evolved from something that simply carries your clubs into something that can also support your course management throughout the round. And now you don’t even have to steer it Remote-control trolleys take that convenience another step further. The current RX12 GPS can be operated remotely around fairways, rough and greens, allowing you to send the trolley ahead or bring it back towards you without walking over to the handle every time. PowaKaddy recommends keeping it within sight and using manual control in tighter or more hazardous areas, but around open parts of the course the remote functionality can make the round feel noticeably more seamless. That’s particularly handy around greens, where you can position the trolley near the next tee instead of walking back for your bag after putting out. PowaKaddy's electric trolley range The PowaKaddy CT6 is the straightforward compact option. Its Simple-2-Fold system keeps the folded footprint small, making it ideal if storage space at home or in the car matters just as much as ease of use on the course. If you want a modern trolley without needing GPS or remote-control features, it gives you the core convenience in a compact package. The PowaKaddy CT12 GPS adds a much more advanced layer of course information. Its large portrait touchscreen gives you access to Full Hole View, Active Green View, Drop Pin, hazard information, shot-distance tracking, scorecards and more, turning the trolley into a useful course-management tool as well as something to carry your clubs. The PowaKaddy RX12 GPS then adds remote operation to the mix. You can control direction and speed from the handset, make course corrections on the move and bring the trolley back towards you when you need it, while retaining the GPS features found on the CT12. So, have electric trolleys really changed that much? If yours still does exactly what you need, there’s no reason you have to replace it. But if it’s been a few years since you last looked at what’s available, you may be surprised by how much more compact, connected and convenient the latest models have become. If you’d like to see how the newest PowaKaddy trolleys compare with your current model, speak to a member of the team next time you’re in the shop. We’ll be happy to talk you through the features or give you a demonstration.