How to hack a Power Wheels ride-on into a high-voltage screamer with a drill battery

Tired of watching your kid abandon their Power Wheels ride-on after Christmas? Swapping the stock 12 V sealed-lead-acid pack for a 20 V lithium drill battery is a weekend project that turns a sluggish plastic buggy into a torquey, wheelie-happy hot-rod. The stock 12 V SLA battery barely keeps up with an iPad, let alone a six-year-old’s need for speed, but a 20 V lithium pack from any major drill brand delivers instant grunt without breaking the bank.

All you need is a $15 aftermarket adapter (or a sacrificial drill you can gut for its battery dock), a soldering iron, and a few inches of heat-shrink tubing. If your Power Wheels has a control board, budget for a low-voltage cutoff switch; if not, wire the battery straight to the motor terminals. Cut the original battery plug wires, solder the adapter leads to the ride-on’s harness, and heat-shrink the joints to kill arcing and corrosion.

Pop in a fresh 5 A·h 20 V lithium cell and the car instantly feels like it’s on rails—just be warned: lithium packs dump torque the moment the trigger is pulled, so abrupt throttle inputs can fry motors, strip gears, or toast the electronics. A cheap “soft-start low-voltage module” (around $10) smooths the delivery, prevents over-discharge below 15 V, and keeps the fun from ending in tears. No engineering degree required—just steady hands and a willingness to void a warranty.