Electric vs. Gas Powered Remote Control Vehicles Overview

You may have bought an electric remote control vehicle but see others with a gas powered one and wonder what the difference is. Or you may be shopping around to buy a remote controlled vehicle for the first time and you are not sure whether to buy one that is electric or gas. The best way to determine this is by analyzing the difference between the two. This way you will know the advantage and disadvantage of both types and will be able to make a more informed decision. The first thing you need to know is what’s involved with both types. Here is a run down of what you may find:

 

·        Electric RC Vehicles: In every situation you will find that electric remote controlled vehicles have the following characteristics:

o       Batteries – Electric vehicles run on batteries. In many cases, these are AA batteries, or they may come as battery packs.  

o       Pre-assembled – Most of them come already to go. But you can get them as kits if you request them that way.

o       Maintain – Electric vehicles are easy to maintain and are the most popular types bought on the market. Plus, they are cleaner and quieter. Plus, there are no gas fumes.

·        Gas Powered RC Vehicles: Of all RC vehicles, the gas powered types are becoming more popular than ever before, especially with the advent of nitro gas fuel. Here are some characteristics:

o       Use glow engines – These are used in gas powered vehicles and are internal combustion engines that run on nitro fuel. Most use 2- to 4-stroke glow engines.

o       Nitro Fuel – The fuel used is not gas. This is a special fuel; it is called as above nitro fuel (or otherwise called glow fuel). Glow fuel is made up of methanol base, with different amounts of nitromethane to provide the energy source for the engine. With these types of engines, oil is pre-mixed into the fuel. This helps to lubricate and protect the engine.

o       Speed – Gas powered vehicles are much faster than electric ones are. They can come with two or three geared type automatic transmissions to adjust for different speeds.