These miniature electric vehicles are a great way to give your child their first taste of driving, at safe speeds.
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Everyone’s excited about electric cars nowadays—but as far as kids are concerned, the rest of us are late to the party. Battery-powered ride-on cars have been a hit with young ones for a couple of decades now, and they’re only getting better with age.
One of the most popular and common configurations of ride-on vehicles is the Power Wheels style, with a simple electric motor and a plastic body shell resembling a real car. For more creative options, there are also kid-sized versions of adventure vehicles like bumper cars and dune buggies.
Ride-on vehicles are categorized by two main factors: weight rating and speed rating. It’s important to select a car that has the capacity to carry your child’s weight, and also isn’t too fast for them to handle safely. The slowest electric car on our list doesn’t exceed 1 mph; the fastest tops out at 9 mph. Some cars offer multiple speeds, such as those with parental controls or that offer a reverse function.
Kids’ ride-ons come in four flavors. Side-by-side cars, or SxS, have two seats in parallel. Some smaller vehicles may also have seating for only one child. UTV cars are single-seat, upright-seating variants of side-by-sides.
The majority of these vehicles are powered by rechargeable 6- or 12-volt batteries that require some skill and tools to replace if they fail. The length of time they will run on a single charge varies widely, and over time all of them will lose charge capacity. Some newer designs use advanced lithium-ion batteries that are smaller, lighter, and more powerful, but these require more effort to replace.
Some of these ride-ons offer parental control of speed, and a few have a full-fledged remote control feature, using a video-game-style remote. As with the adult-sized cars they emulate, today’s ride-ons are increasingly likely to have modern features like Bluetooth, USB, or AUX ports to play music. Others have flashing lights, working doors, seatbelts, and horns. Want something more unusual? One of the vehicles in our test has a removable Frisbee; another has twin water cannons.
As a kid, I took every opportunity I had to get seat time in Power Wheels, go karts, and any other size-appropriate vehicles. As an adult, I’ve spent the past five years writing about cars, covering automotive events, and testing automotive products. I’ve also reviewed full-size vehicles, including electric cars.
We looked for simple, fun machines from established manufacturers with a track record of safety and low recall counts. Ride-on cars come in a wide variety of features, price, and speed, so we’ve included both high-value and multi-feature examples. A range of weight and speed ratings have been taken into consideration to suit kids of varying ages and skill levels.
Power Wheels all but invented this kind of toy, and the company continues to define the product category. The BBQ Jeep provides what parents have come to expect from a traditional side-by-side seating electric car and adds a few unique features.
A Jeep-branded Frisbee mounts on the hood; remove it on a whim for a quick game. Out back there’s a play barbecue set complete with pretend food for the big game. Aimed at younger children, this is a low-speed choice that will liven up the dullest afternoon. Parents also have the option of limiting the vehicle’s top speed, and activating a power lock to prevent it from operating without their supervision.
Interested in a less outdoorsy-looking option? Power Wheels offers similar capabilities in the Disney Princess Jeep Wrangler, or the Barbie Jeep Wrangler.
Your kid can engage in pint-sized off road adventures with this scale version of Chevy’s premium Silverado 4x4. With dual motors built-in, the Trail Boss will likely have an easy time getting traction on surfaces like dirt.
This truck is fully loaded with features: a horn, the ability to play MP3 tracks via a USB slot, external lights, and a two-speed gearbox. Unlike the real thing, this Silverado lets parents pilot it with an included controller.
This SUV-style ride-on car is officially licensed by Land Rover and is essentially the miniature version of the Land Rover Discovery.
Since it comes equipped with aux input for tunes, working LED headlights, a horn and start-up music, it’s comparable to the real deal and will provide your kid with a more genuine driving experience.
The two-wheel suspension and treaded tires allow for a smooth ride and can handle a little bit of rough terrain. Your child can drive manually, or you can guide them with the 2.4-GHz remote control when needed.
This go kart-style vehicle is perfectly sized for smaller children, age 1.5 to 4 years old. It also features a low top speed of 2.0 miles per hour, to ensure your toddler doesn’t get into any trouble.
You can start out your kid by using the remote control mode, then advance to manual driving with remote control override. The final stage is full manual steering control. For additional safety, a lap seatbelt is also included.
Your kid will be the talk of the town in this single-passenger ride-on styled to look exactly like a 1950s Chevy truck, complete with a usable storage bin. Doors are also functional with locking mechanisms for added safety, and a lap seatbelt keeps your child snug in the vehicle.
Despite its vintage flair, this car comes with all sorts of technological goodies, including light-up headlights, and a working radio that can either receive FM signals or pair to a smartphone media player over Bluetooth. A remote control for parental fun and guidance is also included.
For kids that want to play farmer this John Deere Gator is just like the real thing. The bed at the rear has a functioning tailgate and dumping mechanism. Up front there are working headlights, grab bars, a cup holder, and a simulated fuel filler. A trailer hitch can also be used for John Deere accessories and tow up to 60 pounds.
An electric brake is applied automatically while not using the accelerator, and parents can select either 2.5 mph or 5 mph top speed modes. The seats are also adjustable to accommodate kids of various sizes. The only thing to look out for is that the rear tires may be prone to slipping on loose surfaces like grass when there is no weight in the cargo bed.
The Broage bumper car is a very different kind of ride-on car—it’s designed to be bumped into other Broages. To keep things safe, this is a very slow vehicle that is ringed by a rubber impact structure.
It should be reasonably safe to use indoors and would be a good choice for children who are tentative about a traditional ride-on. A parental remote keeps everything in check, and a safety belt keeps would-be bumper-car battlers from falling out.
Parents may feel a wave of nostalgia looking at the Razor Dune Buggy; it’s similar to the lawnmower-engine-powered specials that were common in California and elsewhere 50 years ago.
This one’s electric, and capable of 9 mph on light off-road trails, perfect for older kids with more advanced driving skills. The padded bucket seat has a safety belt. There’s also a rear disc brake, a rare feature on a kid’s electric car and one that can also be used for slides and spins. A thumb trigger controls the variable speed. Real rubber tires ensure the buggy can maintain traction on pavement, grass, and dirt.
This front-loader boasts a similar feature set to the previous John Deere pick, along with some unique gadgets. Like the Gator, it uses automatic brakes and a two-speed system with reverse gear. Parents have the option of locking the top speed to 2.5 miles per hour for younger kids. The seat is adjustable and a rear hitch is compatible with trailer accessories.
As for unique features, this tractor has a working FM radio and a massive bulldozer attachment up front. Kids can use the front-loading mechanism to pick up cargo, transport it to their destination, and dump it. Just be aware that the loader is manually controlled with no motor, so excessive weight in the bucket can cause the front to droop on its own.
Amber is the Digital Content Producer for Popular Mechanics, Runner's World and Bicycling, where she covers a range of tasks for the commerce team. She also writes fashion and beauty content for Best Products. Her work has been featured across all of the Enthusiast Group sites. In her free time you can likely find her watching horror movies, reading a good thriller book, or listening to a comedy podcast.
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