A car of your own that you can drive by yourself is a thrill at any age, but don’t think it is only for teenagers. Young children from three to six years get a huge thrill out of a driving their own car. If you are thinking about purchasing an electric car for a child, you may be wondering how it works and how fast it should go. Electric cars for kids come in six, 12 and 24 volt power. If the car is to be used indoors, you may consider 6v vs 12v ride on toys indoors. The 24v can also be used outdoors. So, what does it all mean?
What is the difference between 6 volt and 12 volt power wheels?
Voltage is the measurement of electric power. Toy ride-on electric car motors with more volts are more powerful. Six volts is the lowest toy car power and 24 is the highest.
- A six-volt engine would be comfortable for the youngest driver from one year to three years. It can only ride on smooth surfaces and won’t damage any normal furniture in the house it bumps against.
- A 12v toy car is also more suitable for indoors, but can ride outdoors if it has smooth flat surface.
- For rough surfaces, mud and lawn a 24v engine would run better.
When considering 6v vs 12v, you might want to consider the speed. The speed depends on the weight of the car, the number of seats and passengers and the quality of the surface. Any car will run slower on lawn than on a hard surface. Six volt motors run from one to three miles-per-hour and 12 volt motors run from four to five miles-per-hour. A 24 volt motor may go up to six miles-per-hour if it has a 24 volt battery.
Many power wheels have parental locking systems. When the wheels are locked, the speed is cut in half. For example, when the wheels are locked, the highest speed of a one model is 2.5 mph, but when the lock is turned off, the speed is five mph. The backward speed will not change whether the lock is on or off.
For toddlers, the low speeds are better, but a six-year-old may want a faster speed. Before buying a toy car, you should check the specifications for the weight of the driver, and passenger if there are two seats, to help you choose the model. For example, the specifications should tell you the maximum speed for the weight of the rider. If an adult is in the car, it will go much slower.
What about a 6v vs 12v battery?
You may have selected the voltage you want for the car but wonder about the difference between 6 volt and 12 volt power wheels. Whatever type of motor you have, you need the same power battery. If you put a six volt battery in a 12 volt car, it may not move at all or it may move very slowly and stop. If you put a 12 volt battery in a car with a six vole motor, it would burn out because of the excess power. In other words, you can’t buy a 12 volt car and think you are saving money by buying a six volt battery. The difference between 6 volt and 12 volt batteries could destroy your car’s motor.
When you charge the battery, you need to be careful not to overcharge or undercharge. Both can shorten the battery life and reduce the car’s operating time. The battery should be recharged after each use. A 6v battery may need 18 hours to recharge and a 12v or Super 6 may need 14 hours to recharge. Make sure the battery is standing upright during charging.
What are 6v to 12v conversion power wheels?
The wheels on a small electric car toy are called power wheels. They usually require a six volt battery, but many toy cars have 12 volt motors. To solve this problem you may need to convert 6v to a 12v power wheels. You can connect two six volt batteries to a 12 volt circuit. This will increase the speed and power of the wheels and raise the stress on the motor. You can either do it yourself, or find a friend who can connect the two six volt battery wires to give the motor more power.
Toy ride-on cars are so cool these days with a huge variety of replicas of famous models. For more than 100 years ever since the days of the old soap-box derbies, children have loved the feeling of importance and grandeur of driving their own car. If you make sure you check the difference between battery and motor voltage for 6v vs 12v ride on toys, it will be great fun for your kids and for you watching them enjoy.