Vanguard previews new battery additions

Vanguard will add 5.3-kWh and 10.7-kWh LFP models to its commercial battery line in 2027. (Photo: Becky Schultz)

Alongside its newest motors and motor controllers, Briggs & Stratton’s Vanguard brand teased new battery offerings at iVT Off-Highway Expo 2026 in Chicago, Ill., promising customers even more flexibility for powering their equipment once launched toward the middle of next year.

Vanguard plans to add lithium iron phosphate (LFP) solutions to its current NMC-based commercial battery portfolio. While slightly heavier than their NMC counterparts, the LFP models will offer a couple of key advantages.

LFP cells tend to be a bit more cost effective compared to NMC cells, said Luke Trudell, account executive, Briggs & Stratton, meaning “your dollar per kilowatt-hour is going to be a little better.” The batteries will also come with integrated pack heaters – crucial for customers who need cold weather performance and charging.

The aim is to give customers more options to match their application requirements. For example, LFP is typically suited to applications requiring a higher cycle life, while NMC provides “bigger punch” for higher power applications that are “a bit peaky or faster,” Trudell noted.

The LFP batteries will also fill out the existing range – which currently tops out at 7 kWh, 48V – by adding 5.3-kWh and 10.7-kWh options. The entire range will be capable of paralleling up to 10 units, which “allows you to really get the capacity that you’re looking for,” said Trudell.

New addition to swappable line

The 48V, 2.0-kWh swappable battery previewed at iVT Off-Highway Expo. (Photo: Becky Schultz)

Vanguard also plans to introduce a new 48V, 2.0-kWh swappable battery based on its current 48V, 1.5-kWh (Si1.5) model – providing added capacity in basically the same form factor, Trudell stated.

This should prove especially welcome in the rental space. “[Swappables are] really big and growing in the

“Our swappable battery is there to become the standard in rental,” he continued. “It’s the only battery and battery charger that can go between companies and applications, so you’re not over there tracking down 10 different batteries and 10 different battery chargers. It’s easier to inventory and it’s just one supplier, so you can go right back to the source.”

Both the LFP batteries and the 2.0-kWh swappable battery are targeted for launch in second quarter of 2027.