Do you have human children (or perhaps very adventurous pets) who you’re trying to get interested in cars? Well, unless you’re already independently wealthy and have plans to raise the next Senna by financing their karting career, a battery-powered ride-on car is kind of the next best thing.
Like seemingly everything these days, ride-on vehicles have gotten cheaper and offer up way more choice to gearhead parents, be they Jeepers, Bugatti enthusiasts, budding farmers or professional TikTok celebs. Seriously, there’s an electric toy car for every small human or animal out there can’t reach the pedals of a full-sized version. However, with so many options, how’s someone to choose?
That’s where we come in. We’ve compiled a list of our favorite kids’ electric cars. We’ve taken into consideration things like safety features, weight limit, rechargeable battery, seat belt, whether or not the car comes with a parental remote control and so much more. Some of these even have LED headlights! So if you’ve got a kid (or cats, and if it’s cats, please send videos) is ready to get their ride on, we’re sure to have the right electric ride on this list. Keep reading for all of your super-fun rides.
The Polaris Slingshot is a three-wheeled vehicle that is very popular for reasons that are completely inexplicable to most people. I will say that it’s definitely a vehicle (I’m reticent to use the word “car”) that gets looks wherever it goes. Now your toddler can enjoy that same kind of utterly puzzling automotive notoriety when they creep around on your sidewalk on this three-wheeler.
The Bugatti Divo is meant to be the “sports car” version of the already very silly-fast Chiron, and while it’s unlikely that you will get behind the wheel of one of the exceedingly limited and eye-wateringly expensive hypercars, thankfully you can live vicariously through your progeny as they careen around your driveway at nowhere-near-nosebleed-inducing speeds. Seriously — this is a cool toy, and I’m kind of jealous.
Perhaps you and your bambino are looking for a slightly more Italiano experience, one where the backward hand wave thing that your kid picked up God knows where doesn’t seem quite so weird or off-putting. In that (very specific) case, the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ may be the right ride-on for you and your famiglia.
So three-wheeled novelty transportation and hypercars aren’t your kid’s thing? Maybe they have an old soul or were just born with a level of class and sophistication far outsizing their tiny body. In that case, there’s the Mercedes-Benz 300SL roadster ride on. Sure, you can complain about the lack of a gullwing model, but frankly, do you want to be responsible for what happens when it inevitably breaks with your kid stuck inside? I didn’t think so.
What if your progeny is shaping up to be a budding Emme Hall? Maybe they want something rugged and off-road-capable-looking. Well, of course the ride-on market has you covered here as well. This fully fake-mall-crawl-accessory-clad (seriously, look at those angry eyebrows!) Jeep Wrangler should absolutely get your kiddo practicing their Jeep wave in no time.
Is your human child a budding Tik-Tok star? Are they already looking at overpriced empty mansions to rent in Los Angeles? Are they possibly destined to be Roadshow’s social media maven, Daniel Golson or the future head of a global petrochemical empire? Well, if they are any of those, then the only reasonable option for them when it comes to a ride-on is a Mercedes Maybach.G650s.
What about you, person-who-only-wears-F1-merch and who is obsessed with shaving another few tenths off of Junior’s first hot laps? Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about you. Meet the questionably-licensed McLaren Senna ride-on. Sure, it’s ugly, but your little hot shoe won’t care. They understand that this ride-on was designed to look just like a car that was made to go fast, good looks be damned.
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Indian Motorcycles
Not every parent wants their kid swanning about in a four-wheeled plastic statement piece, or to find them in their room drawing up crude Montana license plates on construction paper. No, for some, it’s a two-wheeled tradition that they want to pass down, and for those, there’s the I’m-annoyed-it’s-for-kids eFTR Jr. from Indian. It’s expensive, and it’s likely going to lead to some scraped knees and maybe an unhealthy obsession with flat-track racing, but it’s awesome and it looks like the other big FTR models, racing and on-road.
Will having a tiny plastic car that they can drive make your kid the envy of all other kids on the block? Probably, so there’s no reason not to get one. Maybe also consider what you’ll need to charge it efficiently as well as a helmet, and while you’re at it, score some cones so that you can set up a tiny, little Nordschleife in your cul-de-sac. That way Junior has a leg up when it comes time to graduate to more expensive ways for you to live vicariously through them.
Keep in mind that it’s a really good idea to make sure you’re supervising your kids while they’re motoring around and that they really should have helmets, too.
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