You would think that with the introduction of technology such as electric motors and the like that they would have stopped producing pedal cars a long time ago. However, surprisingly, they still make pedal cars. Unsurprisingly, pedal cars are exceedingly popular still, probably due to their fun nature. Let’s take a look.
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What is a Pedal Car?
We have written about this elsewhere on the website, so we will not dwell on this part too much. However, if you need a quick primer on what a pedal car is, let us give you the lowdown!
A pedal car sometimes referred to as a go-kart is a small pedal-powered vehicle. They function in pretty much the way you would ride a bicycle. This means you pedal them and they move forward. The only difference is that they have four wheels!
While pedal cars nowadays are, mostly, designed for use by children, there are a few great adult pedal cars out there to choose from too.
Why do they still make Pedal Cars?
Because people still want to buy them. It really is that simple.
We are not going to lie to you and say that they were as popular as they were in the past. However, as technology has improved, the number of people wanting to buy has increased. This means that a lot of the manufacturers that used to produce them had left the market, but there are still a lot of options to choose from.
The great thing, however, is that pedal cars nowadays are made a whole lot better than they were in the past. A few decades ago, if you wanted to pick up a pedal car, then you would be looking at something which sort-of worked but wasn’t really constructed to a high standard, let alone a safe standard. Now, pedal cars are built to last. They offer a far, far smoother ride. So, if you do feel like giving your child a pedal car, don’t pull out the one that you used when you were a kid, go out there, and hunt down a high-quality one instead!
How easy is it to find a quality pedal car?
As we said before; a lot of people seem to believe that pedal cars had been discontinued. They also feel they are not that popular anymore. As a result, many people seem to believe that the pedal cars available on the market right now are rather shoddily constructed and not worth your money. After all, why would a company want to invest in something that is unlikely to sell all that well? Well, this idea couldn’t be any more wrong.
Fear not, the pedal cars on the market are far superior to anything produced in the past. It seems that the companies that did stick around after pedal cars stopped being ‘as popular’ figured that the best way to get a foothold in the market was by creating far better products.
In the past, you were pretty limited in your choice of pedal cars. Most pedal cars were pretty much the same in terms of design. That isn’t an issue nowadays. Nowadays, you pretty much have a pedal car for everything. You have ones designed especially for toddlers. You have ones for teens. You have ones for off-roading, you have ones for performance on the road. You really are spoiled for choice.
Honestly, your main issue is not going to be working out whether pedal cars are any good, but which of the brilliant ones you should be choosing from. The reviews we have put together should be a good starting point for you here.
Which companies are the best for making pedal cars?
There are a lot of companies still producing pedal cars. This makes it exceedingly difficult for us to narrow down a list to the best manufacturers, however, we do have a couple that we feel would be worth checking out for you.
BERG is a company that will always appear on any list of the best pedal car manufacturers. They have been in the business for a long time, and they have a huge number of products in their range. If you are unsure as to what you want in a pedal car, BERG will probably have enough in their range to help you narrow down your choice.
Hauck is a company well-known for producing quality children’s pedal cars, but they produce some quality ones for older children and adults too.
The Morgan Cycle Retro range is perfect for those people that want a more classic-style pedal car i.e. one that looks like it has been whipped out of the 1950s, but has all the modern safety features expected of it.
Is there any reason to buy a pedal car over an electric motor version?
Pedal cars were replaced by small toy cars with electric motors. So, is there any reason why you should be buying a pedal car over these more modern options?
Well, for starters; pedal cars will give your child a decent amount of exercise. After all, if they want to get anywhere on their pedal car, then they are actually going to need to be pedaling it. This means burning calories while having fun. Is there a better match? In fact, evidence suggests that burning calories on a pedal car is better than cycling! With an electric motor vehicle, you don’t need to do anything but steer.
Electric motor vehicles are a bit tougher to use too, particularly if you are a child. They are harder to switch on, and your child will need a bit of help to do that. That is not going to be an issue with pedal cars. You just sit on them and cycle. The safety aspect of a slower vehicle can not be discounted either.
Finally; pedal cars tend to last longer. After all, with very few components in them (they work with just a simple chain and pedal set-up), there is very little that can go wrong. Compare this to electric vehicles that have batteries that can die, and circuits that can just stop working.
It is no wonder pedal cars have managed to continue to be made in this tough market. They have so many advantages over electric go-karts.
