Briggs & Stratton Corp. announced a new strategic supply agreement with Ingersoll Rand to power Club Car vehicles with its Vanguard Commercial Lithium-Ion Battery Packs.
Beginning in July, the company will power Club Car’s new Lithium-Ion line of Fleet Golf Cars. With lithium-ion power, the fleet charges two times faster, reduces energy consumption, requires zero maintenance, and has a much longer life compared to traditional lead-acid batteries, the company said.
“The Vanguard Commercial Lithium-Ion Battery Pack is unique because of its modular construction,” said Jeff Zeiler, vice president, vice president of product innovation at Briggs & Stratton Corp. “This flexibility, coupled with 110-plus years of power application expertise, allows us to work closely with a wide range of customers and needs, developing a rugged solution that provides the required amount of power and runtime - in addition, we also offer the convenience of product testing and further system refinement in our Power Application Centers. Briggs & Stratton and Club Car collaborated for a number of months to develop a solution perfect for powering the vehicles, and we’re excited to say we’ve done it - these cars are packed with plenty of power and will provide an exceptional experience on the golf course.”
“We are enthusiastic about our new collaboration with Briggs & Stratton,” said Rodney Storer, Club Car integrated supply chain leader. “We value the in-depth knowledge and wide experience with lithium technology Briggs & Stratton brings to the partnership. Including their high-quality, automotive-grade battery system in our cars is a big win for Club Car. This battery system can be scaled and used across a broad range of applications and environments. Club Car will benefit from Briggs & Stratton’s speed and nimbleness as a design and supply partner – and, our customers will appreciate the reliability and efficiency of the system and enjoy the enhanced in-car experience that comes with this lithium solution.”
As a result of this new agreement and other rapidly increasing interest, Briggs & Stratton previously announced it will open a new Advanced Battery Manufacturing facility in Tucker, Ga. As of June 10, four production lines will be operational within the new 78,000-square-foot facility, which has capacity to accommodate future growth. This facility is in addition to the current production space located in Milwaukee, Wis., which going forward will serve as a developmental facility to support the influx of interested customers in this $12 billion addressable market, including military, construction, municipal and golf & leisure, in addition to lawn & garden.
“This new facility supports our commitment to investing in high-growth areas of the company; of which driving growth in commercial markets and introducing new enabling technologies, including battery power solutions, rise to the top,” said Zeiler.
For additional information, please visit www.vanguardpower.com
