The short answer
- 6V ride-ons go about 1.5 to 3 mph, and most go about 2 mph. Many have only one forward speed.
- 12V ride-ons go about 2 to 5 mph. Most have two speeds, around 2 mph in low and 3 mph in high.
- A genuine 12V Power Wheels goes 2.5 mph in low and 5 mph in high. It ships locked in low until you move the lock-out screw.
- Faster than 5 mph on 12V means a kart or dirt bike, like Razor’s 8 mph models for older kids.
The CDC counts 2.5 mph as a brisk walk. You can walk next to a 6V car, but you’ll be jogging to keep up with a 12V Power Wheels in high. The numbers here come from Mattel’s manuals and the 177 ride-ons in our spec database, where every speed comes from the Amazon listing, the maker’s website or the manual.
On this page
6V vs 12V Ride-On Speeds at a Glance
| Type | 6V top speed | 12V top speed |
|---|---|---|
| Cars, trucks and UTVs | 1.5–3.1 mph | 1.9–5 mph, most about 3 |
| Quads | 1.2–2.2 mph, most about 1.5 | 1.9–5 mph |
| Motorcycles | 1.75–3 mph, most about 1.9 | 3.1–4 mph |
| Karts and dirt bikes | About 2 mph (6V dirt bike) | 8 mph (Razor) |
| Genuine Power Wheels | 2 mph (Kawasaki Lil’ Quad) | 2.5 mph low, 5 mph high |
Of the 19 6V ride-ons we track, 16 stop at 2.2 mph or less. Of the 54 12V cars, trucks, UTVs and tractors, more than half top out at 3.1 mph or less, and only 5 reach 5 mph.
A bigger number on the box doesn’t always mean faster: most 24V cars and UTVs top out around 5 mph too. Here’s how fast 24V ride-ons go.
How Fast Is a 12V Power Wheels?
A genuine Fisher-Price Power Wheels on 12V has two forward speeds. Mattel’s manual for the 12V Jeep Wrangler calls them Beginner Use at 2.5 mph (4 km/h) and Advanced Use at 5 mph (8 km/h). Reverse runs at low speed only.
It comes out of the box with a lock-out screw in the shifter base that keeps it in low. Mattel’s rule: before you move it, make sure your child knows how to steer, how to start and stop, and the rules for safe driving. The mod guide shows where the lock-out screw is and how to move it.
Peg Perego’s 12V John Deere Gator XUV works the same way: 2.25 mph in low, 4.5 mph in high, and it ships with high speed locked out.
Most other 12V ride-ons have a high/low switch, and 47 of the 54 12V cars in our database also come with a parent remote, often with its own speed settings. They’re usually slower than a Power Wheels in high. Most stop at about 3 mph.
How Fast Is a 6V Power Wheels?
About 2 mph. Mattel’s 6V Kawasaki Lil’ Quad goes 2 mph, forward only, and it’s made for kids 12 to 36 months. A few 6V cars have a high and low switch, like the Lil’ Rider Classic Toddler Car at 2 to 3 mph.
That slow speed is on purpose, for a child who is still learning that the pedal means go. If your 3- or 4-year-old has outgrown 2 mph, move up to a 12V ride-on.
Don’t put a 12V or drill battery on the 6V car: it doubles or triples the voltage on small motors and gearboxes built for 6V, and they fail fast. The mod guide covers what to do with a 6V car that feels too slow.
Real Ride-Ons From Slowest to Fastest
| Top speed | Ride-on | Battery, ages and weight |
|---|---|---|
| 1.5 mph | Kid Trax Toddler Disney Cars QuadCheck at Amazon: Kid Trax Toddler Disney Cars Quad | 6V, one speed, 18 months to 3 years, up to 44 lb |
| 2 mph | Power Wheels Kawasaki Lil’ Quad | 6V, forward only, 12 to 36 months |
| 2.8 mph | Best Choice Products 12V Ride-On TruckCheck at Amazon: Best Choice Products 12V Ride-On Truck | 12V 4.5Ah, parent remote, ages 3 to 5, up to 61 lb |
| 2.25 mph low, 4.5 mph high | Peg Perego John Deere Gator XUVCheck at Amazon: Peg Perego John Deere Gator XUV | 12V 12Ah, 2 seats, ages 3 to 8, up to 130 lb |
| 2.5 mph low, 5 mph high | Power Wheels 12V Jeep Wrangler | 12V 12Ah, ages 3 to 7, up to 130 lb |
| 2.5 mph low, 8 mph high | Razor Crazy Cart Shift (drift kart) | 12V 5Ah, ages 6 and up in low, 8 and up in high, up to 120 lb |
Why So Many Listings Say 3.1 or 3.7 MPH
Many ride-ons outside the big brands give their speeds in kilometers per hour in the manual, and the Amazon listing converts. 5 km/h becomes 3.1 mph, 6 km/h becomes 3.7 mph and 8 km/h becomes 5 mph.
In our database, 33 of the 54 12V cars list a top speed that’s a round km/h number, and 3.1 mph is the most common top speed of all. Read the decimals as the maker’s design speed, not a radar-gun reading.
What Makes a Ride-On Slower (or Faster) Than the Box Says
- Battery charge and age. Motor speed rises and falls with voltage. A 12V lead-acid battery reads about 12.9V full and about 11.6V empty, so the end of a ride is slower than the start. Mattel puts average battery life at 1 to 3 years. If the car is slower than it used to be, give it a full charge with its own charger (see how to charge a Power Wheels), and if that doesn’t help, it may need a replacement battery.
- Weight. A child close to the weight limit, or two kids in a two-seater, slows it down.
- Grass, gravel and hills. Thick grass and uphill runs slow it down. Downhill works the other way: Mattel warns that near a steep incline a Power Wheels can pick up unsafe speed even with the pedal released, or roll backward.
- The speed settings. Low gear, the lock-out screw and a parent remote on its slowest setting all hold the car below its top speed.
How Fast Is Safe for My Child’s Age?
Go by the maker’s age and weight limits first. Mattel makes the 2 mph Lil’ Quad for 12 to 36 months and its 12V Jeep for ages 3 to 7. Razor sets two ages on its 12V models: the Crazy Cart Shift is for 6 and up in low and 8 and up in high, and the Dirt Rocket MX125 for 5 and up in low and 7 and up in high (8 mph).
My rule of thumb: under 3, a 6V car at walking pace, ideally with a parent remote. From 3, a 12V car in low, with high speed locked out until they can steer, start and stop.
Safety first: an adult watches every ride. Mattel’s manual asks for direct adult supervision, generally level ground away from pools, steps, steep inclines, cars, roads and alleys, and no riding at night. Keep kids off driveways where cars come and go, and put a helmet on for every ride on a kart, quad or dirt bike. More in our guide to ride-on car safety.
Want More Speed?
Check the free fix first: the lock-out screw, the high/low switch or the remote’s speed setting. On a 12V Power Wheels that alone doubles the top speed, from 2.5 to 5 mph.
After that, for most families the better answer is a ride-on built fast for an older kid, with brakes and a frame to match. I keep a list of the fastest Power Wheels and ride-ons, up to Razor’s karts and dirt bikes. Taking a 12V car to 18V makes it roughly 50% faster, but that’s adult work with a fuse on the + wire every time, and the mod guide covers it, starting with safety.
Questions Parents Ask
How fast is 12 volts in mph?
Volts aren’t a speed, but on a kids’ ride-on 12V usually means 2 to 5 mph. Most 12V cars go about 3 mph in high, a 12V Power Wheels goes 5 mph with the lock-out screw moved, and Razor’s 12V kart and dirt bike reach 8 mph.
Is a 12V ride-on twice as fast as a 6V?
Not usually. A typical 6V goes about 2 mph, and a typical 12V about 2 mph in low and 3 mph in high, up to 5. The bigger difference is size: a 12V Power Wheels Jeep carries up to 130 lb, a 6V Kid Trax toddler quad 44 lb.
Does a bigger battery make a Power Wheels faster?
Only more voltage adds speed. A higher-Ah battery at the same voltage, say 12V 12Ah instead of 12V 7Ah, adds run time, not speed. Raising the voltage is a modification with real risks to the motors, gearboxes and wiring, so read the safety section of the mod guide first.
If your child is under 3, a 6V car at 1.5 to 2 mph is plenty. From 3 up, a 12V car that starts in low gives them room to grow into 5 mph.
