Battery groups › 26R

BCI battery group

Group 26R battery size

A BCI group 26R battery is at most 208 mm long, 173 mm wide and 197 mm tall (8.19 × 6.81 × 7.76 in), according to the Battery Council International group chart.

Group 26R208 × 173 × 197 mm
Group 26R208 × 173 mmGroup 21208 × 173 mmGroup 21R208 × 173 mm
BCI group 26R maximum footprint (length × width) to scale, next to group 21 and group 21R. Source: BCI group size chart.
Maximum size208 × 173 × 197 mm
In inches8.19 × 6.81 × 7.76
Terminal typesA
PolarityReversed (R): positive terminal on the opposite side from the base group
Cold cranking amps (OE range)235–675 A

Cars whose manuals point to group 26R

None of the owner's manuals this site has read so far print group 26R. Most Japanese and Korean makers print a case size or capacity instead of a BCI group, so the battery label on the car is the better guide.

Measuring for a group 26R

To take a group 26R, the tray needs at least 208 mm (8.19 in) of length and 173 mm (6.81 in) of width inside the hold-down, and 197 mm (7.76 in) of height below the hood or any bracket, with room left for the cable ends. These are BCI maximums: a real group 26R battery can be a few millimetres smaller, never larger. Original-equipment batteries in this group were rated from 235 to 675 cold cranking amps, so the right rating depends on the car; match or exceed the rating on the battery you are replacing.

Nearby sizes

GroupL × W × H (mm)Difference from 26R
26208 × 173 × 1970 mm length, 0 mm width, 0 mm height
140R207 × 175 × 190-1 mm length, +2 mm width, -7 mm height
70208 × 180 × 1860 mm length, +7 mm width, -11 mm height
121R208 × 177 × 2150 mm length, +4 mm width, +18 mm height
21208 × 173 × 2220 mm length, 0 mm width, +25 mm height

Positive numbers mean the other group is bigger than group 26R. A bigger case only fits if your tray and hold-down have that much spare room; measure inside the hold-down frame, not the old battery.

Fitting a group 26R

The group sets the case size, terminal position and hold-down. A battery from another group can only replace it when the length, width and height all fit the tray and the terminals land on the same sides. No other passenger-car group in the BCI chart has exactly the same case size and polarity. Use the tray fit checker to list every group that fits a measured space.

Source: Battery Council International, BCI Group Sizes (Oct 2023 PDF), page 6. Checked 2026-10-20.