FoxESS EQ4800 vs CQ6 vs CQ7. Same platform, different density.

They are the same brand on the same high-voltage stackable platform — the difference is module density, not quality. The EQ4800 uses 4.66 kWh LFP modules, 2 to 9 per stack, for 9.32–41.93 kWh usable, with around a 6,000-cycle life and a 10-year product warranty. The CQ6 steps up to 5.99 kWh modules, 2 to 14 per stack, for 11.98–83.86 kWh usable, with over 95% round-trip efficiency and a 12-year warranty. The newest CQ7 uses 6.98 kWh HV modules — a CQ7-V6M master module plus CQ7-S slave modules — for 13.92–97.44 kWh usable, with a provisional 12-year warranty. All three are LFP, all offer 100% usable depth of discharge, all are Clean Energy Council approved and all pair with a FoxESS H3 or KH hybrid inverter. So the real question is not which is best, but which module density fits your home and budget.

For most typical-to-large Australian homes the CQ6 is the sensible default. It carries the longest warranty of the three at 12 years to 70% retention, offers over 95% round-trip efficiency, and its 5.99 kWh modules scale from 11.98 kWh up to 83.86 kWh, which is enough headroom for evening load plus some EV charging without over-buying. That said, if your evening usage is modest and you mainly want to cycle stored solar overnight, the established EQ4800 does the same job for a lower entry point, and there is no reason to pay for capacity you will not use. Chasing the biggest number on a quote is usually the wrong call. Size the battery to your evening load and any EV charging, not to the largest stack on the shelf. A free Mission Green assessment sizes it against your actual usage.

Almost certainly not. The CQ7 reaches 13.92–97.44 kWh usable per stack, which is far more than a normal household cycles in a day, and its density is aimed at large homes, heavy electric-vehicle charging or three-phase supply. Most homes are well served long before that, and paying for capacity you never discharge just lengthens the payback. There are two extra things to weigh on the CQ7: it is the newest series, so its 12-year warranty should be treated as provisional, and current availability is worth confirming before you commit. If you genuinely have a large evening load or serious EV charging, the CQ7 earns its place — otherwise the CQ6 or even the EQ4800 is the more honest fit.

Because for a lot of homes it is exactly enough. The EQ4800 is the established workhorse of the range: proven 4.66 kWh LFP modules, 2 to 9 per stack for 9.32–41.93 kWh usable, 100% depth of discharge, around a 6,000-cycle life and a 10-year product warranty to 70% retention. If your goal is to store the day's solar and run the house through the evening, that capacity and cycle life cover it, and it is the lowest entry point in the FoxESS range. The newer CQ6 and CQ7 add density and, on the CQ6, a longer 12-year warranty — genuinely useful if you need the extra headroom, but not worth paying for if you do not. The honest answer is that the right battery is the smallest one that comfortably covers your evening load, and for modest daily-cycling homes that is often the EQ4800.

Yes, and that is a strong reason not to over-buy on day one. All three are high-voltage stackable, so extra modules clip onto the existing stack rather than needing a separate second battery. The EQ4800 stacks 2 to 9 modules for 9.32–41.93 kWh, the CQ6 takes 2 to 14 modules up to 83.86 kWh, and the CQ7 scales up to 97.44 kWh per stack. Because the H3 or KH hybrid inverter and the platform stay the same as you grow, adding capacity later is straightforward. In practice the modules you can add depend on your specific model and inverter capacity, and battery ranges do get revised over time, so it is worth confirming with the supplier before you rely on a future expansion. If you know EV charging or a bigger family is coming, tell your installer at quote time so the system is sized with headroom.

Yes. The EQ4800, CQ6 and CQ7 all use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) chemistry, which runs cooler and is more resistant to thermal runaway than older lithium formulations, and all three are Clean Energy Council approved — the listing that accredited installers and government rebate schemes require, confirming each product has passed Australian electrical safety and performance testing. All offer 100% usable depth of discharge and pair with a VPP-ready FoxESS H3 or KH hybrid inverter. On warranty, the EQ4800 carries 10 years and the CQ6 carries 12 years, each to 70% capacity retention, while the CQ7's 12-year warranty is provisional as it is the newest series. As with any battery, the installer matters as much as the box, so a well-designed, well-installed system is what those warranty and cycle-life figures assume.

All three are high-voltage stackable batteries designed to run on a FoxESS H3 or KH inverter, and that pairing is what makes them VPP-ready. Because the whole range shares that platform, the inverter decision does not change if you later move between module types or add capacity — expanding is adding modules to the same stack rather than rebuilding the system. If you already own a different brand of inverter, confirm compatibility before anything else, because a high-voltage battery and its inverter have to be matched.

It is two promises in one figure. The twelve years is the term; the 70% is the capacity FoxESS undertakes the battery will still hold at the end of it. So a CQ6 that starts at 11.98 kWh usable is warranted to still deliver at least about 8.4 kWh in year twelve. A warranty quoted only as a number of years tells you nothing about how much battery you will have left, which is why the retention percentage is the figure worth asking for on any brand. The EQ4800 carries ten years and the CQ6 twelve, which is at the longer end for Australian home batteries.

Only if density is genuinely your constraint. The CQ7 uses 6.98 kWh modules for 13.92 to 97.44 kWh usable per stack, which suits large homes, heavy EV charging or three-phase supply. Two caveats are worth weighing: its twelve-year warranty is provisional as the newest series in the range, and availability is worth confirming with your retailer rather than assuming. If your loads do not justify the density, the extra cost simply lengthens payback, and the established CQ6 or EQ4800 does the same job on proven modules.

Yes, all three are VPP-ready when paired with a FoxESS H3 or KH inverter. Being VPP-ready is not the same as being in a VPP, though — you still need a retailer offering a program in your area and on terms you accept. Worth understanding before you sign that joining one means someone else dispatches your battery at times you do not choose, so check what minimum reserve you can set and what control you keep.

Yes, the EQ4800, CQ6 and CQ7 all carry 100% depth of discharge and all three are CEC approved. That matters for the federal rebate, which is calculated on usable capacity: with 100% depth of discharge the usable figure is the one quoted, so 9.32 to 41.93 kWh for the EQ4800, 11.98 to 83.86 kWh for the CQ6 and 13.92 to 97.44 kWh for the CQ7. Confirm the specific model appears on the current CEC approved list at the time of installation, since listings and expiry dates change.