Overview
- A handyman in Ellenwood, Georgia, retrofitted a discarded Power Wheels Barbie Dream Camper with a two‑gallon, single‑piston engine taken from a pressure washer to use for short local trips.
- He says the tiny vehicle costs about $3 to fill versus roughly $60–$90 for his regular car, and he drives it for errands when possible to save on fuel spending.
- Reporters note the conversion is practical only for short trips because the toy is small, cannot use motorways, and raises obvious safety and legality questions.
- Local police have reportedly been tolerant so long as he stays off highways, and the story has been reported widely as an individual coping measure rather than a policy response.
- Journalists place the episode in a wider context of rising pump prices tied to disruptions near the Strait of Hormuz, limited public transit and expensive EVs, which together leave some drivers few affordable alternatives.