Beginner Series: Nitro vs Electric RC Cars
Welcome to the world of radio control! Adrenaline RC Racing is all about helping new comers or beginners decide which type of RC Car is best for them. This series will also include a bunch of other tips and tricks that all RC Car drivers won't want to miss!
Today we are going to start at the first basic question you will want to ask yourself. Should I buy an electric or nitro car?
To start, we are going to make a list of things you should know about each type. You can then look at this list and decide if a nitro or electric rc car sounds like a good fit for you.
Electric RC Cars:
- A rechargeable battery powers these cars.
- Lower maintenance compared to Nitro Cars.
- You can run this indoors.
- Cleaner than Nitro Cars, and don't need engine tuning.
- Typically cheaper to run.
- These cars are much quieter and practically silent compared to Nitro Cars.
Electric Cars are much faster then Nitro cars with upgrades. Typically, manufacturers stock Ready to Run (RTR) models with basic parts that are mostly plastic. If you are really into speed, you can upgrade to better, more durable metal parts for higher performance.
60+ mph here we come! A lot of the expensive items are a one time purchase and then you can use them in almost any electric car you buy! They also last a long time, if you take care of it!
Nitro RC Cars
- Nitro cars use fuel.
- If you love the smell of fuel, the sound of a loud engine, and exhaust fumes filling the air, then you will love what nitro has to offer!
- This type of car can run for a longer duration of time compared to electric cars. With Nitro, once your car runs out of fuel, you simply fill it back up and keep running! No waiting for batteries to charge!
- You should only run nitro cars outside. Running them indoors can lead to toxic exhaust fumes overwhelming the air quality.
- Requires more maintenance and mechanic work.
- If you wish to race, you must have a pit person who can refuel your car mid-race.
Summary from Beginning RC
| Nitro | Electric | |
| Speed, RTR | Very Good | Fair |
| Speed, upgraded | Great | Great |
| Acceleration | Very Good | Great |
| Power band | RPM-happy | Torquey |
| Ease of starting out | Medium | Easy |
| Maintenance | Can be difficult | Medium |
| Initial purchase cost | High | Low |
| Long-term cost | Medium | Low to Very High, depending upon how fast you want to go |
| Sound level | Loud | Quiet |
| Driving environments | Almost exclusively outdoors | Indoors or out, but nothing wet |
| Key strengths | Fast out of the box, realistic sound, long runtimes | Easy to get started with, clean, quiet |
| Key weaknesses | Loud, messy, tuning can be difficult | Batteries take time to charge, upgrading to go very fast can be very expensive |
Sources: RC Web Car, Beginner RC Cars how to choose the best, ( 2016).
Beginning RC, General Buying Decisions: Nitro vs Electric