Donkey Car parts list

Hobby RC car with a Raspberry Pi and camera on top that learns to drive itself from your own driving data.

Mobile robotsbeginner by Donkey Car community (autorope)

Total parts cost: $290 to $470 (cheapest listed sellers add up to about $163)

Standard 1/16 build per the docs parts list: car, Pi 5, 64GB card, wide camera, PCA9685, USB battery, screws, jumpers. Low end uses a Pi 5 4GB at $110 and the cheapest listed parts; high end uses the Pi 5 8GB the docs name ($200 at Adafruit) and a dearer camera. The docs still list the Pi at $60, which is out of date. Excludes printed parts, the optional LiPo kit, ESC and servo swaps for brushed WLtoys cars, and shipping.

Exploded view

Tap any part to see where to buy it. Diagram is schematic, not to scale.

Every part you need

Part	Qty	Spec	Where to buy
1/16 scale RC car (Exceed Magnet standard; Desert Monster, Short Course Truck, Blaze, HSP 94186 or WLtoys 144010 also listed) chassis	1	Docs budget $92. The Exceed cars and HSP 94186 are electrically the same with brushed motors; Desert Monster, SCT and Blaze need printed adapters. WLtoys 144010 is brushless and fast. Brushed WLtoys 144011 and 144001 need a new ESC and servo Gives the drive motor, ESC and steering servo the Pi controls.	Amazon: check price Amazon: check price Amazon: check price
Brushed 480A ESC plus WLtoys 144010-2003 metal gear steering servo ESC and servo swap (brushed WLtoys 144011 / 144001 only)	1	Only needed for the brushed WLtoys cars; the docs suggest this path only if you are comfortable with RC The stock electronics on those cars do not work with the Donkey setup.	Amazon: check price Amazon: check price
Raspberry Pi 5 computer	1	Docs table says Pi 5 8GB at $60, but its Amazon link is the 4GB. 4GB now sells for $110 to $130, 8GB about $200 Runs the Donkey Car software, camera capture and the driving model.	Adafruit: $200.00 single; 8GB Seeed Studio: $110.00 single; 4GB Adafruit: $130.00 single; 4GB Amazon: check price
SanDisk Extreme microSD, 64GB storage	1	Docs budget $18.99 Holds the OS, software and recorded driving data.	Amazon: check price
Wide angle Raspberry Pi camera camera	1	Docs link is a Smraza 5MP OV5647 wide angle module ($16). On a Pi 5 you also need a 22-pin to 15-pin camera cable The only sensor; the model steers from its images.	Amazon: check price Adafruit: $38.50 single; Camera Module 3 Wide, 120 deg, alternative
PCA9685 16-channel 12-bit PWM driver (I2C) servo driver	1	Address 0x40 on I2C bus 1; throttle on channel 0, steering on channel 1. Docs budget $12, or $2 to $4 from AliExpress Turns Pi commands into PWM for the ESC and steering servo.	Amazon: check price Adafruit: $14.95 single; out of stock 2026-10-25
Anker PowerCore 10,000 mAh USB battery Pi power	1	Docs budget $26; the docs link is the 30W PD model (A1256) Powers the Pi separately from the car's drive battery.	Amazon: check price
Female to female jumper wires wiring	1	One set; 4 wires carry 3.3V, SDA, SCL and GND from the Pi to the PCA9685 Connects the servo driver to the Pi's GPIO header.	Amazon: check price
M2x6 self tapping screws fasteners	8	M2.2, M2.3 or #4 SAE also fit per the docs Mounts the boards to the printed top plate.	Amazon: check price
M3x10 self tapping screws fasteners	3	#6 SAE also fits per the docs Screws the top plate to the roll cage.	Amazon: check price

Quantities follow the official Donkey Car docs: https://docs.donkeycar.com/guide/build_hardware/. "Unverified" prices come from search listings or older BOMs that we could not confirm on the seller's product page.

Kits (fewer orders, check what they leave out)

Kit	Price	Includes	Leaves out	Buy
PiRacer Pro AI kit (pre-assembled, Raspberry Pi 4) Waveshare	$193.99	On-road chassis, expansion board, camera, gamepad, tools; Pi 4 and 32GB card optional. Page lists $193.99 to $365.99 by configuration	18650 batteries; Pi 4 in the base option. Ships with an old Donkey Car image the docs say to upgrade	Waveshare: $193.99
Waveshare PiRacer Pro (docs link) Amazon	check price	Pre-assembled car with Raspberry Pi 4 per the docs	Check the listing	Amazon: check price
Printed roll cage, top plate and adapters Donkey Store	check price	Ready made printed parts and car adapters per the docs	Store link only; product pages and prices not verified	Donkey Store: check price

3D printed parts

Needed. Roll cage and top plate, printed in PLA without supports; print the roll bar upside down. The build page does not link the plate files; buy them from the Donkey Store or a print service. Adapters: thingiverse.com/thing:2566276 (WLtoys) and thing:2260575 (Exceed Desert Monster, SCT, Blaze). The Magnet needs no adapters.

Mistakes builders make

The docs table lists a Pi 5 8GB at $60, but its Amazon link is the 4GB model and Pi 5 prices have roughly doubled since; budget $110 to $130 (4GB) or about $200 (8GB).
Raspberry Pi 5 uses the mini 22-pin camera connector, so the 15-pin cable that ships with most Pi cameras will not fit; get a standard to mini cable.
Match the OS to the software version: the Pi setup page says Donkey Car 5.4 needs 64-bit Trixie and 4.x needs Bookworm, and a Trixie install failed for one user in February 2026.
Do not power the PCA9685 VIN from the Pi's 5V pin; the ESC feeds servo power through its 3-pin lead. Throttle goes on channel 0, steering on channel 1.
The WLtoys 144010 is brushless and quick, which the docs warn takes getting used to; the brushed 144011 and 144001 need a new ESC and servo.
The PiRacer Pro ships with an outdated Donkey Car image; one owner on Waveshare's image found throttle cut out whenever steering was applied.
If the car will not track straight, recalibrate steering so left and right limits sit evenly around center; the code takes the midpoint as their average.
Remove the camera lens film, and push on the camera board, never the lens, when seating or removing it.

FAQ

How much does it cost to build the Donkey Car?

About $290 to $470 in parts at current prices, Standard 1/16 build per the docs parts list: car, Pi 5, 64GB card, wide camera, PCA9685, USB battery, screws, jumpers. Low end uses a Pi 5 4GB at $110 and the cheapest listed parts; high end uses the Pi 5 8GB the docs name ($200 at Adafruit) and a dearer camera. The docs still list the Pi at $60, which is out of date. Excludes printed parts, the optional LiPo kit, ESC and servo swaps for brushed WLtoys cars, and shipping..

Do I need a 3D printer for the Donkey Car?

Yes. Roll cage and top plate, printed in PLA without supports; print the roll bar upside down. The build page does not link the plate files; buy them from the Donkey Store or a print service. Adapters: thingiverse.com/thing:2566276 (WLtoys) and thing:2260575 (Exceed Desert Monster, SCT, Blaze). The Magnet needs no adapters.