Actev Motors, a Silicon Valley-based company, was founded in 2014 with the mission of making an impact on the recreational vehicle market. They did just that with their first creation, the Arrow Smart Kart.

Aimed at children ages five to nine, the Arrow Smart-Kart is the first smart, electric go kart designed by race car drivers, and inspired by technology in today’s most advanced automotive vehicles.

“As a long time-car enthusiast, I wanted to leverage my 35 years of technology experience to bring a whole new category of fun and safe vehicles to families,” said Dave Bell, CEO and co-founder of Actev Motors. “Simple battery-powered ride-on cars don’t excite today’s kids – they seek high-tech interactive experiences. The Arrow Smart-Kart gets kids off the couch and outside, and behind the wheel of a real driving machine.”

For parents worried about their child wandering too far, crashing into something or someone, or how fast they can go, Actev Motors already covered all of those bases. Through the Arrow app on iOS or Android, parents can limit the Arrow to 12 mph, or anything under that based on their skill level.

There is also a collision-avoidance system that stops the kart when it senses an object. Another cool feature is the emergency stop button on the app, as well as the geofencing feature. The geofencing feature allows parents to set a predetermined area for their child to drive in, and once they leave that space, the kart will shut off, provoking the child to go back into their safe area.

Other neat features of the Arrow app include stats that the children and parents can view with parameters such as total driving time, total distance covered, and top speed reached. In the coming months, Actev says a growing list of accessories will be available for the Arrow, which includes custom body kits, drifting wheel rings, a Formula-1-inspired steering wheel,
distance-sensing ‘smart cones’, laser tag sensors and gaming apps. Not too shabby for a kid’s toy!

To add to the adrenaline rush that kids will get while driving the Arrow, there are speakers integrated in the headrest to emulate a V12 engine sound, but Actev Motors is looking to expand the number of available engine sounds. We have no doubt that some adults may purchase them and use them with the drift rings if the Razor Crazy Cart XL doesn’t quench their drifting needs.

For $599.00, a Formula 1-esque Arrow Smart-Kart can be preordered, with deliveries beginning in the summer time. Depending on top speed and use, the battery should provide a solid 45 minutes to an hour of use, and if you preorder, Actev will upgrade the kart with a double-capacity battery, and a rapid charger.

As it isn’t as expensive as we were expecting, it certainly tops the price of a Power Wheels vehicle, which will definitely be less fun than this cool little kart. Here’s to hoping that Actev Motors has an adult version of the Arrow on the way, as not all of us can afford a fast Tesla, or a racecar at the moment. For a full list of features, check out Actev Motors’ website.