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How to Build a Battery Powered Rubber Band Car

There are many ways you can transfer mechanical energy in a motor to the wheels of a toy car. One of the most common is with a series of gears, but you can also obtain the same effect from a rubber band acting as a belt in a car motor. By looping two wheels together, you can make your battery powered car run with a rubber band instead of gears.

Things You'll Need

Wood, cardboard, foam meat tray or other material for the car base
Marker
Saw or scissors
Two straws or four eye hooks or other materials for axle holders
Glue
Two small pulley wheels
Rubber or elastic band
Two dowels or skewers as axles
Four toy wheels or materials to make wheels
Electric motor
Wire
AA batteries and battery holders
Solar panel (optional)

Instructions

- 1
  Draw a base for the car on your base materials. Make a roughly rectangular shape--at least 6 inches by 4 inches--marking the front and back of the car as well as the left and right sides. Find the center of the rear line and draw a 1/2-inch wide, 2-inch long notch in the center. Draw any contours you wish to add.
- 2
  Cut out the shape of the car body, as well as the rear notch.
- 3
  Attach the axle holders, made of straws or eye hooks, to the bottom of the vehicle; either glue or screw them into place. Place one toward the front of the vehicle, and one across the notch on the back. Make sure the two are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the notch. If you're using straws, cut the notch out of the straw.
- 4
  Loop the elastic band around one of the two pulley wheels and place that construction inside the notch with the center of the pulley near the axle holders. The elastic and wheel construction will be loose for now--you will attach them with a pully shortly.
- 5
  Slide the dowels or skewers into the axle holders to create axles. Make sure the axle passes through the pulley wheel and through the rubber band.
- 6
  Attach the wheels onto the axles and glue them in place. Glue the pulley wheel onto the center of the rear axle. Make sure the elastic band doesn't get glued to the axle, or the car won't run and the glue may damage the elastic band. Wait a few minutes for the glue to dry.
- 7
  Glue the remaining pulley wheel onto the armature of the motor, which is the part that moves when powered. Make sure the motor will still spin.
- 8
  Attach two wires to the terminals on the motor. You can slip the exposed part of a wire through the terminal, then twist it back around itself.
- 9
  Slip the second wheel into the elastic band. Pull the elastic band taut, and then place the motor on the car. Glue or tape the motor in place on the body of the car, anywhere where the elastic will be taut, in-line with the pulley wheel and roll smoothly.
- 10
  Attach the lead from the negative terminal on the motor to the negative terminal on the battery or battery holders. The terminals on both will be labeled negative (-) and positive (+).
- 11
  Tape or glue the battery or battery holders to the car base. You may want to glue it on the side of the vehicle opposite the motor.
- 12
  Connect the positive lead of the motor to the positive terminal on the battery. You'll find the motor starts turning when connected.

Toy Vehicles