This week we've had the same question from several families, both in the shop and over the phone: what's new in stock. September's shifted our catalogue quite a bit, so let's go through it model by model, because not all of them work for the same age or the same kind of child.
If you've got a little one between one and three years old still crawling or toddling around discovering the garden, the Electric Kids' Excavator 6V with shovel and helmet included is one of the new arrivals that makes the most sense for that age. 6V 4.0Ah battery, the lowest in our range, designed for flat ground and walking pace, not racing speed. What sets it apart from a regular car is the shovel: it's not just a seat on wheels, the child can actually load and dump sand or soil, so if you've got a patio or a corner of the garden with dirt, it genuinely makes sense. It comes with a helmet included, which isn't necessary at that speed but it's no bad thing to start the habit early. Reference price around 110 €.
Not for: a five or six-year-old who's already running around wanting to go fast. It'll feel underpowered and lose its charm within a few months.
The new arrival that'll probably fit most families is the Licensed Electric Kids' Car Mercedes G580 with remote control. 12-volt battery and 25W motor, our standard for three to six-year-olds. It comes with parental remote control, and it's worth being clear about what that means: it's not that the child learns to coordinate steering and pedals with help, it's that you drive the car by remote while they sit enjoying the ride, and you hand over control when they're ready to drive alone. It's officially licensed by Mercedes-Benz, which doesn't change how it works but does affect the finishing details. Reference price around 234 €.
Here are two new arrivals that work on the same principle but look quite different: the Electric Kids' Buggy Sport Outland 4x4 and the Electric Kids' Military Vehicle Star. They're both similarly priced, between 390 and 395 €, and both are aimed at a child who already knows how to drive on their own, not one who needs you to drive it remotely.
The difference is in the style: the buggy has a sporty, rally-like look, while the military one has a chunky off-road body, more aimed at the child who's into "real" vehicles, like a jeep. About the buggy's name, one important clarification: calling it "4x4" is a matter of looks, off-road styling and big wheels, not a guarantee that it actually has four-wheel drive. It's worth asking in the shop before you buy if it's an important factor for you, because not all buggies that look off-road actually have four-wheel drive.
We haven't uploaded the full specs for voltage and range for either of these yet, so if you need the exact figures to choose between this model and another one we stock, it's best to ask us directly before you buy.
The Electric Kids' Motorcycle WOLF-E is different from everything above for one simple reason: it's a two-wheeler, and bikes don't have parental remote control. The child drives on their own from the start, so before you even consider it, the real measure isn't the age the manufacturer suggests, it's whether your child can stand on their own without help and can safely put their feet on the ground to brake or stop. If they still need you to hold them up to walk, now's not the time, regardless of what the paperwork says. The price, around 630 €, is the highest of this batch of new arrivals, which usually means more battery power, though we haven't got the full spec sheet loaded yet to confirm the exact voltage.
The most common mistake we see people make is choosing based on looks, the military feel, the "4x4" badge, the sporty design, without checking the voltage and your child's actual age first. A vehicle that looks bigger and cooler doesn't always have a bigger battery or more power, and if your child tries it out and it goes slower than expected, it's your child who's disappointed, not you.
Another thing to always check, here or anywhere else: the range the manufacturer claims is rarely what you'll actually get. In normal use, with starts, turns and some grass or inclines, the battery usually lasts somewhere between half and a bit more than half what the spec sheet says. It's not a fault with the vehicle, it's just how it's measured under ideal conditions that rarely happen in a real garden.
If any of these new arrivals sound right for you, here's the full catalogue of electric kids' cars so you can see them all together and compare. And if you're still unsure which one fits best with your little one, just ask, because we've been watching children try these out for years.