Wheel types for electric ride-on cars for kids

When we want to buy an electric car for children, there are several factors to consider. We all tend to focus on aspects such as power and range, or even more trivial matters such as the presence of an MP3 player, remote control or horn. However, we often overlook a much more important element: the type of wheel of the electric children’s car.

The wheels are the only points of contact between the car and the ground, so they automatically become key factors in terms of grip, speed, control, and even vehicle safety. This is why it is important to give them all the attention they deserve, because there are many types of wheels for kids electric ride ons, and not all of them are the same.

So what are the types of wheels for electric ride-on cars? We will now review the main types that can currently be found on the models on sale on the market.

Plastic wheels for kids cars

Traditionally, electric children’s cars with plastic wheels have been the general trend in this sector. Functional and economical, plastic wheels for children’s electric ride on cars have always given good results in terms of quality/price ratio. It was this balance between good performance and low prices that made this type of wheel the market standard for many years. Today, they can still be
seen in many models, and even in two different formats:

Plastic wheels without tread

This is the cheapest type of wheel on the market, but also the one with the least positive qualities. Plastic wheels without tread for ride on toys can’t carry much weight (many manufacturers set the limit at 44 lbs), so they are often used in models intended for young children. Plastic materials also do not offer much grip on their own, which is why they are often manufactured with certain embossed patterns that increase their traction capacity.

Due to their requirements (low weight and low speed), plastic wheels without tread are usually only seen on electric ride-ons toy car and 6V electric children’s cars.

Plastic wheels with tread

The other variant in this category is the plastic wheels with tread, which maintain the low cost of their “sisters” without treads, but with some improvements.

The inclusion of the tread increases the maximum weight supported to approximately 88 lbs, which is already quite an achievement. But that’s not all, because thanks to this addition, the plastic wheels also increase their grip. Can reduce their dimensions (they gain realism in their size relationship with the rest of the car) and can be exchanged for spare models, if they become worn out.

These qualities led plastic wheels with tread to become the standard for 12V ride on cars for kids and 24V powered ride ons, until recently, when they began to be replaced by other types, as we shall see below.

EVA wheels

Slightly more expensive than plastic, but their many virtues are worth it, making rubber wheels the new industry standard for many of the ride on cars being launched on the market.

The realism of these wheels are very similar to those of a real car, so the overall feeling of the children’s vehicle is much more realistic. Their second quality is the great grip they provide on all types of surfaces (even on difficult terrain such as grass). Their third advantage is their greater durability, which makes them perfect for extending the service life of the vehicle in question. Their fourth great quality is that they are very quiet, so we will no longer be afraid of the child disturbing the neighbors or ourselves if he decides to drive the electric vehicle indoors. Last but not least, since they have no inner tube, they are puncture-proof wheels for Kids ride on car.

It doesn’t matter if they are children’s electric sports cars or children’s electric 4x4. If they have EVA tires, you have power wheels.

Pneumatic wheels

Pneumatic tires with inner tubes, although they offer exceptional performance, are still not widely seen in the market for children’s car toys. The main reason is their high weight. As we can all guess, the heavier the car, the less speed the electric motor can develop and the more battery consumption it will require.

If it were not for this drawback, we would be looking at the best wheels for children’s electric cars. They are the ones that support the most weight (and, therefore, the ones that would allow the widest range of ages to use the cars, like the Freddo Rocket: The fastes Ride on in the market), they are the most realistic (exactly the same in terms of aesthetics and feel as those of real cars), and they are very durable (there will be no need to worry about wear and tear spoiling the wheels or making them lose grip).

These pneumatic wheels, thanks to the higher weight they support, can be found in some models of electric cars for big kids, in several 4-seater electric cars for kids and also in a small selection of the 48V electric cars' category.