Photo: Peg Perego

Driving fast cars like grown-ups do is every boy’s (and some girls’) dream. The joy of discovering speed at a young age can either be experienced with the notorious red ‘Bobby Cars’ that require the child use his or her own legs to move the vehicle up and down imaginary highways, but what’s even more fun are battery-powered ride-ons. These battery-powered vehicles are an upgrade from the Bobby Car, they’re mobile. And they appear definitely more ‘grown up’, which is always a plus.

The right power for your battery car

Ride ons come in all different shapes and sizes for different age groups and are produced by a range of toy manufacturers. Finding the right battery-powered ride-on for your child can be a matter of deciding between many different brands and styles. While searching for the electric vehicle your children will enjoy most, a couple of factors should be taken into consideration.

One thing to consider is the size of the battery since it is directly linked to the range of functions the toy car will perform. D-sized battery ride-ons go for a price of about  £40. Normally, at least six of the D-size batteries have to be put into the toy in order to make the car, truck or jeep for children function properly.

The double-edged sword here is that these battery powered ride-ons are the smallest and most affordable but, incidentally, are also the ones that will be outgrown in the shortest period. The trick is to balance needs with budget – considering 6 Volt cars have sufficient pedal power to ride on pavements or smoothly groomed lawn, but unfortunately not on much else (which is a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it).

High speed in your front yard

Photo: Peg Perego

Although some versions of 6 volt battery-powered ride-ons can speed up to five miles per hour, they cannot carry a child who weighs more than 100 pounds. If you decide to invest in a 12 volt car you will be rewarded with the extra function of two forward speeds and one reverse speed, as well as faster speeds and an increased weight capacity of up to 125 pounds.

Twenty-four volts is the maximum output purchasable for battery-powered ride-ons. The Sportsman 800 and the Polaris RZR Ranger produced by Peg Perego can drive children weighing up to 150 pounds and peak at speeds of 7 miles per hour if your children really feel the need for speed.

Battery powered ride-ons are certainly a treat, but they are well worth it and consider this a way of teaching your young man or woman the importance of responsibility and safety behind the wheel at a young age.

Tags: toys