9 Best Kids Ride-On Cars of 2023 – Top-Rated Electric Cars for Kids

Everyone’s excited about electric cars nowadays—but as far as the preteen set is concerned, the rest of us are late to the party. Battery-powered ride-on cars have been a hit with kids for a couple of decades now, and they’re only getting better with age. Whether it’s a Barbie-branded Power Wheels ride-on for young children or an electric drift kart for the more daring set, it’s safe to say that most children have at least a passing interest in steering a powered vehicle around the driveway—or the neighborhood.

Best Electric Cars for Kids

The Expert: As an automotive journalist—my work has appeared in Haggerty Classic Cars, Road and Track, Car and Driver, and others—and one of the first to performance test the original Tesla Roadster, I have more than a decade of experience with adult-size electric cars. I’m also a parent who has bought quite a few different motorized vehicles for my child over the past twelve years, from electric scooters and ride-on cars to two-stroke competition go-karts.

What to Consider

If your kid is ready to take to the open road this spring, start shopping now for the ultimate ride-on machine. Here’s what to look for in a kids’ electric car.

Speed and Age Limit: Just like kids, these ride-on electric cars come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. While it can be tempting to get something a child can “grow into,” there are serious safety risks involved with putting your kid on something they can’t easily control. It’s best to follow the manufacturer recommendations for age and weight. It’s also better to get a car that is too slow, which will only lead to some mild frustration, rather than one that is too fast. 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.

Types of Ride-On Electric Cars: Kids’ ride-ons come in four flavors. “Side-by-side” cars, or SxS, have two seats in parallel. “ATV” (also called “four-trak”) ride-ons have the rider straddling a center seating position with a foot on either side of the body. “UTV” are single-seat, upright-seating variants of side-by-sides. Motorcycles are what you’d expect, but most toddler-oriented “motorcycles” have two permanently affixed balance wheels to keep the machine upright.

Batteries and Power: The majority of these vehicles are powered by rechargeable six- 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 some power. While the traditional Power Wheels and similar ride-on toys use an automotive-style lead-acid or AGM battery similar to what you’d find under the hood of a standard car, some newer designs use advanced lithium-ion batteries that are smaller, lighter, and more powerful, but require more effort to replace. If you’re looking to get only a year or two of use out of your new toy, however, you probably won’t have to think too much about this.

Extra Features to Look For: Some of these ride-ons offer parental control of speed. A few offer a full-fledged remote control feature, using a video-game-style remote. Is this really necessary for low-speed electric cars? It depends on your child’s needs—and, more forthrightly, your needs. 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, or horns. Want something more unusual? One of the vehicles in our test has a removable Frisbee; another has twin water cannons.

How We Selected

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 high-feature examples. In a few cases, we selected a product from a new manufacturer based on consumer experiences and published reviews. When in doubt, we gave the nod to the vehicle that just looked more fun than its competition; isn’t that what toys are all about?