Briggs & Stratton enters agreement with Ingersoll Rand

Club Car with Vanguard battery (Photo: Briggs & Stratton Corp.)

Briggs & Stratton Corp. entered 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. This product line has some of the most innovative technology in the Club Car lineup. With lithium-ion power, the fleet charges 2 times faster, reduces energy consumption, requires zero maintenance and has a long life.

“The Vanguard Commercial lithium-ion battery pack is unique because of its modular construction. 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 run time. In addition, we also offer the convenience of product testing and further system refinement in our Power Application Centers,” said Jeff Zeiler, vice president of product innovation at Briggs & Stratton Corp. “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.”

Rodney Storer, Club Car integrated supply chain leader, said, “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 rapidly increasing interest, Briggs & Stratton Corp. 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, which, going forward, will serve as a developmental facility to support the influx of interested customers in this $12 billion market, including military, construction, municipal and golf and leisure, in addition to lawn and garden.