The short answer
- Use the charger made for the battery. Power Wheels, Peg Perego and most other makers say to use only their own.
- Charge after every ride. Power Wheels: at least 14 hours (18 the first time), never more than 30. Peg Perego: 18 hours the first time, never more than 24. Most other brands: 8-12 hours.
- Won’t charge? Check both plugs and the outlet, then test the charger and the battery.
- Lost or broken charger? Order the matching one by the part number on the battery. Power Wheels owners can also call a service center.
- Never improvise. No car battery, car battery charger, jump starter, bench power supply, solar panel or wall cord. Here’s why.
On this page
How to Charge a Power Wheels Battery, Step by Step
Only an adult should charge the battery. Mattel says a child could be hurt by the electricity involved. Most ride-ons charge with the battery still in the car, under the seat or the hood.
Power Wheels 12V and 6V
- Look over the battery, the charger cord and both plugs. Don’t charge a cracked or damaged battery, or use a charger with a damaged cord or plug.
- Unplug the car’s wiring plug from the battery, then plug the charger into the battery. Keep the battery upright.
- Plug the charger into a wall outlet, not a ceiling outlet like the one for a garage door opener. If the outlet is on a switch, turn it on.
- Charge at least 18 hours the first time and at least 14 hours after every ride. Never go past 30.
- Unplug the charger from the battery, then from the wall, and reconnect the car’s wiring.
On some new toddler 6V Power Wheels, the battery comes out for its first charge because you need it out to finish assembly. Your manual will say. After that it charges in the car.
How to Charge a Peg Perego (John Deere Tractor, Gator and Others)
- Unplug the car’s plug from the battery.
- Plug the charger into the wall, then push the battery plug into the charger plug until it snaps.
- Charge 18-24 hours. Never go past 24.
- Unplug from the wall first, then from the battery, and reconnect the car.
Use only a charger with the Peg Perego logo on the case and plug.
How to Charge a 6V or 12V Toy Car Battery (Aosom, Best Choice, Kid Trax)
- Turn the car off and find the charging port, usually on or under the seat.
- Plug the charger into the port, then straight into a wall outlet. Kid Trax says never to use an extension cord.
- Charge for the hours in your manual (see the table below).
- Unplug it from the wall, then from the car.
Every time you charge, any brand:
- Keep kids away from the battery and charger.
- Upright, dry and ventilated. Charging gives off explosive gas, so keep it away from heat, sparks and anything that burns, and never in a closed box. Don’t set it on a kitchen counter or anything else battery acid could damage.
- Never leave it flat. Mattel says leaving the battery discharged will ruin it.
- Acid on skin or eyes: flush with cool water for at least 15 minutes and call a doctor.
Stop Signs: When to Unplug and Replace the Battery
Stop charging right away if the battery is cracked or leaking, hot to the touch, swollen or bulging, or smells like rotten eggs. Unplug the charger at the wall, air out the room, keep everyone out until the smell is gone, and replace the battery. If you see smoke or flames, get everyone out and call 911.
Keep acid off your skin and eyes. Wear gloves and put a leaking battery in a plastic bag, as Mattel and Peg Perego advise. Old batteries have to be recycled.
How Long to Charge Power Wheels and Other Ride-Ons
| Brand | First charge | After each ride | Never more than |
|---|---|---|---|
| Power Wheels | 18 hours | At least 14 hours | 30 hours |
| Power Wheels quick charger | Per the car’s manual | Until solid green (older models: about 80% at 2 hours, full at 6 to 8) | Unplug at solid green |
| Peg Perego | 18 hours | Right away (18-24 hours from flat) | 24 hours |
| Kid Trax | 12-18 hours, by model | 12 hours | 18 or 24 hours, by model (check the manual) |
| Most other brands | About 12 hours | 8-12 hours | Check the manual (Aosom 24, TOBBI 12 or 20) |
Skipping a new battery’s full first charge shortens its life (see do Power Wheels batteries come charged). A higher-Ah battery takes longer on the same charger. Stop at the maximum, because overcharging damages the battery.
Power Wheels Charger Light: What Red, Green and Blinking Mean
No light on your Power Wheels charger? That’s normal. The standard 12V charger doesn’t have one, and Mattel’s manuals don’t describe one on the 6V chargers.
Mattel says there’s no sure way to tell if the charger works without a meter, so charge for the full time or do the meter check. If your Power Wheels charger does have a light, it’s a quick charger (first row below).
| Charger | What the light means |
|---|---|
| Power Wheels 12V quick charger | Solid red: charging Flashing green (older models): about 80%, ready to ride. Mattel says to go on to solid green at least every other charge. Solid green: fully charged Flashing red: bad or wrong battery, or a loose plug No light, battery connected: check the outlet has power. If it does, the battery is bad. |
| Peg Perego (chargers with a light) | Green, no battery: the charger has power Orange or flashing green: charging Back to solid green: almost full Green alone doesn’t prove the battery is charged. |
| Most other ride-on chargers | Red: charging Green: charged or ready Many show green with nothing connected. |
- Stays green on a flat battery: it isn’t charging. Push the plug all the way in, then do the meter check below.
- Stays red far too long: if you reach the maker’s hours with no green, unplug it and test the battery. A battery that won’t reach full is worn out.
- Blinking red and green: Mattel and Peg Perego don’t list this pattern. Unplug the charger, check its label or manual, and do the meter check below before you charge again.
- Warm charger, sizzling or gurgling battery: normal while charging, Mattel says. A hot battery or a swollen case is not (see the stop signs).
Power Wheels Charger Not Working? A Quick Meter Check
You need a basic multimeter set to DC volts (marked DCV, or V with a straight line), such as the AstroAI digital multimeter. No meter? A Power Wheels service center can test your charger for you.
- Check the basics. Charger plugged in at both ends, a switched outlet turned on, plugs pushed all the way in and undamaged.
- Test the charger. Plug it into the wall with no battery connected and touch the probes to the contacts in its plug, without letting the tips touch. A standard 12V Power Wheels charger should read about 13.5-14.5V, a 6V charger about half that. Zero means it’s dead, except on quick and smart chargers, which read zero until they sense a battery.
- Test the battery. This one needs a rested battery. After a full charge, unplug it from the charger and the car and let it rest at least 4 hours (24 is better). With the dial on DC volts and the red lead in the V socket, touch the red probe to + and the black to -. Don’t let the tips touch each other or bridge both contacts. Compare the reading with the table.
| At rest | 12V battery | 6V battery |
|---|---|---|
| Full | 12.6-12.9V | About 6.3-6.45V |
| Half | About 12.2V | About 6.1V |
| Flat | 11.9V or less | 5.9V or less |
- Won’t reach full after a full charge: the battery isn’t holding a charge. About 10.5V on a 12V battery points to a dead cell. Replace it.
- 0V on a Power Wheels battery: its built-in breaker may be stuck open, or the battery has failed. Replace it. Don’t open the case or bypass the breaker.
- Reads full but runs a short time: the battery is worn out. Mattel expects 1-3 hours of riding per charge, so much less than that is a fault (see how long a Power Wheels battery runs).
- Stops on hills or grass, then runs after a rest: that’s the thermal fuse tripping, not a charging problem. Release the pedal and wait about 25 seconds.
Still not sure? Take the charger and battery to a Power Wheels service center. Full checklists: ride-on car not charging, and ride-on car not working if it’s charged but won’t move.
Lost or Broken Charger? Get the Matching One
There’s no safe stand-in, so the fix is the right charger. Find the label on your battery (under the seat or the hood) and note the voltage and part number. On a Power Wheels, note the case color too.
Label worn off? Take the battery, or a photo of it, to a Power Wheels service center.
- Match the charger. Power Wheels charger part numbers:
00801-1778: gray or orange-top 12V battery
00801-1779: red 6V battery
00801-1781: blue 6V battery
Peg Perego cases: green is 6V, blue is 12V, yellow is 24V - Order the genuine charger or one listed for that exact battery (picks below).
- Or call a Power Wheels Authorized Service Center. They carry chargers and can test your old one. Call ahead to check they have yours. Find one by zip code on Mattel’s Power Wheels service site or call 1-800-348-0751. Peg Perego’s help line is 1-800-728-2108.
- Until it arrives, park the car, unplug the battery and keep it somewhere cool and dry. Charge it as soon as the charger comes. If it won’t hold a charge after that, it may have sat flat too long, so do the meter check.
Mattel’s manuals say to use a Power Wheels charger, so the genuine part is the first choice. The SafeAMP and Impact Battery chargers below aren’t made by Mattel.
They’re sold for these exact batteries, and SafeAMP’s listings say its 12V and blue 6V chargers are UL listed. Our replacement battery and charger guide lists every part number by brand.
Power Wheels 12V (gray and orange-top batteries). A Power Wheels service center can order the genuine 00801-1778.
This SafeAMP charger has the same 12V, 1A output. Its listing names the gray battery’s part numbers (1001175653, 00801-0638 and 00801-1869), so check yours against it.
Compare the plug with the listing photos before you order. For an orange-top battery (00801-1776), the closer match is Impact Battery's 12V 1A replacement charger, listed for all gray and orange-top 12V batteries. Impact Battery says it’s an authorized Power Wheels service center. Lost a quick charger? Mattel lists its newer 12V quick charger for the gray battery, and a standard 12V charger charges that battery too, just more slowly (at least 14 hours).
Power Wheels 6V (red and blue batteries). Each 6V battery needs its own charger. The blue-battery charger won’t charge the red one. Power Wheels-brand chargers come first when you can find them: the Power Wheels red 6V charger (00801-1779) and the Power Wheels blue 6V charger. The SafeAMP replacements below are listed for the same batteries.
Red 6V battery (charger replaces 00801-1779, 0.9A):
Blue 6V toddler battery (charger replaces 00801-1781, 0.35A):
Peg Perego 12V (blue-case battery, Peg Perego 12V vehicles only):
Peg Perego 24V vehicles have a yellow battery case. For the Gaucho Superpower, the Polaris Sportsman 800/850 and the 24V Polaris Ranger RZR, get the Peg Perego 24V charger (MECB0111). Never use it on a 12V battery. The Polaris RZR 900 and other 12V models take the 12V charger above, so read the voltage on the battery label before you order.
Peg Perego 6V chargers come in two plug styles, so check the plug on your battery. The round-plug 6V charger fits the John Deere Mini Tractor and Santa Fe Train. The large-plug 6V charger fits 6V batteries with the large plug.
Other brands. Ask the car’s maker for its charger first. Its name is in the manual or on the car’s labels.
If you bought the car on Amazon, the order page shows the seller to message. A ride-on parts shop that lists chargers by model is the next stop.
Take photos of the charging socket and the battery label, and use the manual or the old charger’s label to match five things: voltage, battery type (lead-acid or lithium), plug, the + and – layout, and output current (amps). If you can’t match all five, don’t guess.
Why a Car Battery, Jump Starter or Solar Panel Isn’t Safe
This page used to describe charging from a car battery, a jump starter, a solar panel and a wall cord. We’ve taken that advice down. Don’t use any of them. Mattel warns that the wrong charger could cause a fire or explosion.
- Car battery and clips: engine running or not, nothing between the two batteries limits the current, so the toy battery can overheat and give off gas. On a 6V toy battery, a car battery is also double the voltage. The clips spark right next to a battery that gives off explosive gas.
- Car battery charger or maintainer: it’s built for a car battery, and Mattel and Peg Perego don’t approve one, whatever the amp setting. Hooking it up takes clips or an adapter. Many are 12V only, double the voltage for a 6V battery. Boost, engine-start and repair modes are far too much for a small toy battery.
- Jump starter: built to push hundreds of amps into a car for a few seconds. NOCO, which makes them, says its jump starter is not a battery charger.
- Bench power supply: no ride-on maker approves one. It has no toy-battery plug, so it means clips on the battery, and one wrong voltage or current setting will overcharge it.
- Solar panel: no ride-on maker approves one. Its output rises and falls with the sun, and hooking it up means clips or bare wires on the battery.
- Wall cord: an outlet is 120V AC. The charger turns that into 6V or 12V DC. A cord wired to a battery can give a deadly shock and can make the battery burst or catch fire.
Don’t bypass a fuse or breaker either, and never fit a bigger fuse. Ride-on wiring can overheat: in 1998, Fisher-Price and the CPSC recalled about 10 million Power Wheels because electrical parts could overheat and start fires, including while charging.
Charging in Storage and Over Winter
- Before storing: charge it fully, then unplug it from the car’s wiring.
- Once a month: give it a full charge, even if nobody rides. Peg Perego says every 30 days.
- Where: somewhere dry that stays between -10°F and 75°F (Mattel’s range), away from heaters.
- Cold weather: keep it charged. A full lead-acid battery holds out to about -67°F, but a flat one can freeze at about 5°F, which is inside Mattel’s storage range. Never charge a battery that might be frozen. Bring it indoors and let it warm to room temperature first. If the case is cracked or bulging after a freeze, don’t charge it. Replace it.
- Charging in a cold garage: the same rules apply. Keep it dry, ventilated, upright and away from anything that burns. Don’t charge a battery that might be frozen, and never charge a lithium pack below freezing.
More in storing Power Wheels batteries.
Power Wheels Charging FAQ
Can You Charge a Power Wheels or Toy Car Battery Without a Charger?
No, not safely. Mattel, Peg Perego, Aosom and Kid Trax all say to use only their own charger, and none of the workarounds controls the voltage and current a ride-on battery needs. Order the matching charger and park the car until it comes. Power Wheels owners can also get one from a service center, which can test the old one too.
Can I Charge a Power Wheels Battery With a Car Battery Charger or Trickle Charger?
No. Mattel and Peg Perego say to use only their own charger, and that includes small 1A trickle and motorcycle chargers. None of them plugs into these batteries without clips or an adapter, which is the improvising this page warns against. Many are also 12V only, double the voltage for a 6V battery. Use the charger made for the battery.
Can I Use Another Toy’s Charger?
Only if it’s made for the same battery. Even the red and blue Power Wheels 6V batteries need different chargers. Another brand’s charger can match the voltage and still have the wrong plug, polarity or current.
Can I Charge Power Wheels Overnight?
Yes. A Power Wheels needs at least 14 hours, so starting in the evening is normal. Check on it before bed and again in the morning, and don’t cover the charger or its cord. Unplug it before the limit in your manual: 30 hours for Power Wheels and 24 for Peg Perego. Other brands set the limit by model (Aosom 24, Kid Trax 18 or 24, TOBBI 12 or 20). Other brand and no manual? Stop at 12 hours, the shortest limit we found.
How Do I Know If My Power Wheels Battery Is Charging or Full?
A quick charger shows solid red while it charges and solid green when full. A standard Power Wheels charger has no light, so charge by time: at least 14 hours after a ride. With a meter, a rested 12V battery reads 12.6-12.9V when full (see the meter check).
Kevinsmak
Power Wheels dad. Writing RC Ride On Cars since the start.
Hello! I'm Kevinsmak; I have been a content producer of RC Ride On Cars since the start of this site. I have always enjoyed Power Wheels with my family. My two boys love them, and seeing this helps me make sure this website is very accurate for the safety and enjoyment of your family.
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