Solar Micro Car Kit DIY STEM Kit

A simple and highly affordable miniature solar car kit that includes everything you need to build a small but speedy vehicle powered solely by the strength of the sun. The kit constitutes an excellent introduction to solar energy for young learners, presenting a relatively short task rendered challenging mostly by virtue of the size of the building materials. Builders will develop their fine motor skills, learning the basics of how vehicles work, garnering confidence and self-reliance as they construct a fun toy with guidance from an instruction sheet detailed with step-by-step images and directions.  

Makes a fun and unique stocking stuffer, and can be used as the basis for a wide variety of science fair projects. Once the car is built, just place it in the sun and the rays picked up by the solar cell will cause the motor to drive the wheels automatically. Make it a family project and have your cars race!  

Features:

• Build a small car powered by solar cell and electric motor
• Includes all the parts necessary (even a small philips screwdriver is included!)
• Develop fine motor skills, confidence, and self-reliance in young kids
• Solar cell is already soldered to the motor (no soldering required!)
• Great for use in various science fair projects
• Car measures 3.25" x 2.5" x 1.25" when built
• They come is assorted colors (blue - shown in photo, yellow, and green)

Please note that these cars need outdoor sun to work. They will not work indoors through a window or with artificial lighting. Also, make sure to remove the protective film from the solar cell before use.

How It Works

This mini vehicle uses a high-efficiency solar cell that converts sunlight into electrical energy. The energy powers a compact DC motor, which drives the rear wheels. In bright sunlight, the car moves quickly; in lower light, it slows down. Students can observe how solar angle, shadowing, and light intensity affect vehicle performance.

What Students Will Learn

• Basics of solar power and photovoltaic energy conversion
• How electric motors work
• Gear ratios and mechanical energy
• Engineering design and fine motor skills
• How sunlight intensity affects speed and torque
• Real-world applications of renewable energy

Perfect For

• Elementary and middle school STEM classes
• Summer camps and science clubs
• Solar energy demonstrations
• Renewable energy lessons
• Family engineering projectsScience fair exhibits

Science Fair / Classroom Project Ideas

• Test how panel angle affects speed
• Build a “solar racetrack” to compare multiple cars
• Measure distance traveled vs. sunlight intensity
• Modify wheels or gearing to test friction and torque
• Compare performance in shade vs. direct sunlight

Frequently Asked Questions

Does it work indoors?
No—this car requires direct outdoor sunlight. It will not run under lamps or through windows.

How long does assembly take?
Typically 30–45 minutes.

Is soldering required?
No. The solar cell is already pre-soldered to the motor.

What grade levels is it for?
Ideal for grades 3–9.

Can it be used in a solar energy science fair project?
Absolutely! Students often use this as the basis for experiments involving light intensity, solar angles, or wheel modifications.

Customer Reviews

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  Great kit !
JB from United States
Thank you the students loved it !


  Wonderful Starter Project to Start the School Year
Ms. Walker from Sandston, VA USA
This product was helpful in keeping the engagement of my students on the first days of school. I highly recommend it for 7th and 8th graders.


  Great for Kids
Leo from Chicago
Bought 50 of these for our companies bring your child to work day, and they all had a great time assembling and playing with these. Solar panels worked well. Only issue is the screws and nuts are very small and created an issue for even the smallest of fingers. Would use them again if needed.


  Solar Micro Car Kit DIY Kit
Tom Keller from Snohomish, Wa
This STEM kit was fun and easy to build. The cost was very reasonable, and my grandson loves to play with it using a LED flashlight.


  i love it
joshua fogelson from New York
I modified mine to have a chargeable battery when done charging I can flick it on with a custom switch


  The little car that could !
Randy from O'fallon Mo
I bought this little solar powered car just so i could pull a trailer to haul little solar dancers around. IT WORKS GREAT in full sun!(NO SHADE !!!) not even a little shade. It won't work inside the house (with clean windows). So i made a track for it to run around on when the sun shines on it on the front porch.


  great little project
Deb from Washington State
I used these with 4th grade students and they had a great time. Once they had the opportunity to build them, it led to all sorts of great educational conversations on solar energy, gear ratios, and more. Thanks for making it affordable!


  mini solar car
Deb from Washington
I was really pleased with the solar micro car kit. My students were able to follow the directions and easily put the car together. It works great in bright sunshine and we even had it working with a 100 watt incandescent bulb up close.


  Solar DIY Micro Car Kit
Jennifer Fitzpatrick from Auburn Hills, MI
Product worked as designed. Clear instructions in English. Received in a timely manner. Ordered for kids of many ages for Bring Your Kid to Work Day. Thank you!


  Awesome project!
Tracy L. from Sacramento, CA
It took about 45mins to put together (pretty easy following the included instructions). My kids loved it and played with these in the sun for several days. They run pretty fast in the full sun. I bought more for birthday and Christmas gifts for all of my nieces and nephews. Price is great.


  Needs strong sun to operate
Patricia Blauner from Amherst MA, USA
I ordered 50 of these as goodies to distribute at a high school engineering competition. I just put a few together to check them out and found that although the assembly instructions and fit were excellent (I was glad to find they were pre-soldered!), they require pretty intense sunlight to operate. Intense artificial light doesn't do it, direct sun through a window didn't do it (it is winter in New England), but they do outside when the sun is reasonably high. I fear the students will be pretty disappointed if its a cloudy day.