You’ve seen RC monster trucks powering around a track or dirt course. You’ve watched their intense races and high speed collisions. You may want to buy one for yourself, or you may just be curious to learn more about these fun toys that are a huge hobby for so many people. One of the most commonly asked questions is “What powers those trucks?”
Keep in mind that these toys started out being purely electric. After all, they are remote control, hence “RC” in the title, and those controls are generally battery operated hand-held steering controls. So it’s only natural that many of these trucks run on electricity from a battery.
In hobby grade RC monster trucks (larger, faster, and more durable than “toy grade” remote controlled vehicles), battery power is one option. These batteries can only put out so much power, so generally a battery-powered truck cannot be quite as large as those that run on fuel. However, battery electricity is a very clean power source that emits no by-products, making this an easy type of monster truck to maintain, even if it is a little less powerful.
The second type of fuel for an RC monster truck is generally referred to as “nitro.” These run on a blend of oil, methanol, and nitromethane (hence the name). They get a lot more power than the electric trucks, and therefore can come in larger sizes that achieve faster speeds. The nitro truck runs almost exactly like a tiny version of the engine you’d find in a full size truck or car. This means it does have emissions that can build up in the engine, so they require a bit more maintenance and cleaning. The faster speeds also mean more forceful collisions, so nitro powered trucks need to be made sturdier if they are to withstand that impact.
The third type of power, which is probably the least common for RC monster trucks, is actual gasoline, mixed with a small amount of oil. These are comparable to the small motors you find in a “weed whacker” yard tool, and generally are even larger than the nitro trucks.