If your 12V Power Wheels Battery fails, it is possible to replace it with an alternative battery you may have laying around your house. It can be a car battery, a motorcycle battery, a UPS battery, or the home security system batteries, etc.
The best choice from these will be a 12v Sealed Lead Acid battery which fits in your kid’s Power Wheels, a Motorcycle battery is a perfect example of that.
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Can You Use Any 12V Battery in Power Wheels?
Yes, it is possible, just one condition is that the battery should be able to supply enough current to the motor so it can run.
Many electric units have 12V batteries with different Ah (ampere-hour), the traditional Power Wheels battery has 9.5 Ah to 12 Ah, any 12V lead-acid sealed battery with ah of 9.5 or more will work fine or sometimes even better.
Because the alternative batteries have higher Ah it improves the performance of the vehicle and also increases the runtime for Power Wheels.
If the battery type is different then you need corresponding modifications, suppose the battery is lithium-ion so you will need modifications like installing an adapter and a new charger for the lithium-ion battery.
Important Factors to Consider Before Installing Alternative Battery
- Make sure you have bought the battery with the required Ah so it can run the motor, if the battery is less than the required ampere-hour the motor will not run.
- For some batteries, you may need a new adapter and charger, confirm it before buying.
- If you install higher voltage batteries, it is recommended to upgrade the motor and gear according to the battery voltage otherwise the motor will die sooner.
- It is better to use new wires while installing a new battery which also includes a new harness connector.
- A 30A fuse should be installed for safety.
Power Wheels Battery Alternatives
Many alternatives are available for 12V Power Wheels Stock Batteries. These alternatives are the batteries used in electric systems, tools, and vehicles you use in daily life, these electric systems, tools, and vehicles include home systems, cars, bikes, golf carts, etc.
These alternatives have a longer life so if you chose the alternative then you don’t need to replace the Power Wheels battery time by time.
Most of these vehicles and systems use sealed lead-acid batteries. You can also use lithium-ion batteries as an alternative by drill conversion, some vehicles and most electrical tools contain lithium-ion batteries.
Let’s have a look at some of the best alternative battery options.
Car Batteries
Mostly the gas Car Batteries are 12V with different Ahs. The 12V Car batteries can be good alternatives for some Power Wheels which have a bigger size. Because the car batteries are bigger they might not fit in every Power Wheel.
Interstate is one of the best brands for car batteries. Interstate also provides batteries for Motorcycles, ATVs, Wheelchairs, and Home Systems, etc. These batteries are outrageously dependable.
The Car Batteries have higher Ampere hours which increase the runtime of Power Wheels. If you are using the car battery in your kid’s Power Wheels it is better to check it time by time for the safety of your kid.
The Car battery’s cost is higher than stock Power Wheels batteries, usually, a good car battery can cost more than $200.
Motorcycle Batteries
The motorcycle batteries are the most suitable alternative for Power Wheels because they are the same 12 voltage and almost the same Ah as the original Power Wheels batteries.
These batteries are more reliable than the original power wheel batteries and last for longer life.
The Stock motorcycle batteries, Interstate, Expert Power brand batteries for motorcycles are recommended for Power Wheels.
Even these batteries have the almost similar Ah to stock Power Wheels batteries, but they can perform better and run longer on moderate use of Power Wheels.
The battery dimension is almost similar to Power Wheels batteries so it can be used in any 12V Power Wheels. It should make sure that the battery should be the gas motorcycle battery, not an electric motorcycle.
The electric motorcycle batteries are usually higher voltage which is not good for the motor.
These batteries are also used in ATVs, Jet skis, Snow riders, and Dirt Bikes that run on gas, so if you have one of these their battery can be an alternative for Power Wheels. The cost of these batteries is up to $70.
Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Batteries
The 12V UPS batteries can be good alternatives for Power Wheels batteries. These batteries come with different Ahs, an ideal Ah for Power Wheels is also provided in UPS Batteries.
Compared to OEM Power Wheels batteries, these batteries are deep cycle batteries that typically survive deep discharge with consistent use which most of the Power Wheels batteries don’t.
Expert Power is one of the best brands of lead-acid batteries which are recommended to use for UPS. The battery life of Expert Power batteries is amazing for Power Wheels.
There are so many choices out in the market which can be used as an alternative in Power Wheels
These batteries also come with dimensions smaller than the original Power Wheels battery so they can fit easily in any Power Wheels. These batteries are also more reliable than original Power Wheels batteries.
With moderate use, your kid runs the Power Wheels for days without any charging.
These batteries are also recommended for Home Alarm Systems, General Electronics, Lighting Equipment, Medical Devices, Home Security Systems, Emergency Systems, Electric Scooters, Solar Collectors, Wheelchairs, Golf Carts, Fish Finders, and many Other Applications.
The 12V UPS batteries can be one of the best alternatives for Power Wheels Batteries. These 12V batteries are relatively cheaper and cost $30 to $50.
Home Security System Batteries
The home security systems include security cameras, alarms, electric get systems, etc. these systems use 12V batteries with different Ahs.
These batteries are sealed with lead-acid which is safe to use in the Power Wheels. These batteries are a good alternative because they perform better and increase runtime with higher Ah.
The Mighty Max and Expert Power are two of the best brands which provide 12V batteries for home security systems.
Sometimes these batteries have a similar Ah to stock batteries and sometimes it is higher, in both cases, it can perform well in Power Wheels.
The dimensions for 12V batteries are smaller than the stock battery so they can easily fit in the Power Wheels. These batteries can cost up to $70 which is not a higher price compared to the stock Power Wheels Battery.
Golf Cart Batteries
The 12V Golf Cart batteries are the ideal alternative for Power Wheels batteries. The standard Gold Cart battery comes with 18Ah which is also good for the Power Wheels. The Golf Cart batteries are SLA which can perform for a longer time.
The Weize, Expert Power, and Mighty Max provide some of the best batteries for 12 golf carts.
Though the golf cart is not a common vehicle still its battery can be a good alternative for Power Wheels.
The dimensions of these batteries are good enough to fit in any type of 12V Power Wheels. The battery price is $35-$70.
Lithium-Ion Batteries
As we know that most of the time the Power Wheels use sealed lead-acid batteries. Lithium-Ion batteries can be an alternative for 12V Power Wheels. You may already have the alternative lithium-ion battery in your garage and you don’t know about it.
The tools, flashlights, and other daily use electric things use 12V lithium-ion batteries which can be installed in the Power Wheels.
The lithium-Ion batteries cannot be installed directly in the Power Wheels. It requires proper drill conversion. You need to buy an adapter or create one from the donor tool.
A fuse also needed to be installed. These batteries have low running time than the stock Power Wheels batteries.
In dimension, the lithium-ion batteries are very small and can be easily fitted. The total cost of the battery and drill conversion can go up to $80.
Here are some other options from which the batteries can be used as an alternative in the Power Wheels
- Electric Scooters and Bicycles
- Medical Devices
- General Electronic
- RVs, Campers, Wheelchairs
- Generators
What Difference a Higher Ah(Ampere Hour) Battery Makes?
Typically a higher Ah battery does not have any disadvantages to the Power Wheels. The Higher Ah batteries are more expensive and they have more toxins.
The higher Ah batteries in Power Wheels have a longer run time so if you install them into your child’s Power Wheels it will be long-term fun for them.
Can You Use a Car Battery in Power Wheels?
A simple answer to that will be YES. As mentioned above only sealed car batteries can be used because they are safer. Most of the car batteries are 12V which are suitable for 12V Power Wheels.
Traditional car batteries have 48 Ah which is fine for Power Wheels. Higher Ah will make your Power Wheels run longer.
The Problem with car batteries is that they are bigger than the original Power Wheels Battery, some of the Power Wheels models may not have enough space to fit in the car battery so it is not recommended to use the car battery for these models.
Most modern-day car batteries are called Valve Regulated Lead Acid (VRLA) or Sealed Lead Acid (SLA) batteries, which are fine for the Power Wheels.
But if your car battery is old-style which requires water and maintenance DO NOT use it for the Power Wheels, it may harm your child.
Can You Put a 24V Battery in 12V Power Wheels?
Yes, it is possible, you can put a 24V battery into a 12V Power Wheels, and this will greatly increase the speed of your Power Wheels. Mostly it is suggested if you want to increase the speed of Power Wheels add a higher voltage battery.
Adding a 24V Battery into a 12V Power Wheels will have a negative effect on the motor and gears, it is recommended to upgrade the motor and gears according to the battery voltage, otherwise more power will generate more heat which results in motor and gear failure.
If you want to increase the life of the motor and gear, up-gradation is necessary, you can also install the heat sinks but these are a temporary solution. You will need a new adapter and charger for installing a 24V battery into 12V Power Wheels.
Safety of Alternative Batteries
The alternative batteries for power wheels are safe to install in power wheels. These batteries are valve-regulated sealed acid batteries that are mostly maintenance-free. You don’t need to open the batteries so there are no leakages.
It is recommended to install new wires, a harness connector that supports the new battery and a 30Amp fuse to stop more power if the battery or adapter is malfunctioning.
It is also recommended to read battery charging instructions.
Conclusion
The Power Wheels battery alternative is a good option for parents who are fed up with replacing the battery again and again.
The alternative options have a longer life so the parent doesn’t need to replace the battery time by time.
The alternative battery options for Power Wheels come with different higher ranges of Ampere Hours which increase the run time and your kid can have longer fun.
Some of the batteries may require corresponding modifications like drill conversion. A 30A fuse is recommended to install for safety purposes.
