The Future Life of Our Lead Acid Batteries

Lead batteries have been popular for 150 years and counting. Others designs have come and gone, while some continue on successfully. This is largely down to the human urge to continually improve life around ourselves to suit us. Today, we pose the question what might the future life of our lead acid batteries be like? We take our inspiration from current research.

Work at the Advanced Lead–Acid Battery Consortium

The Advanced Lead–Acid Battery Consortium has commissioned research into lead batteries for a quarter century. Lead batteries are the dominant market for the soft, silvery metal, while auto starters are the primary product. But this need will fall away as interest in combustion engines fades.

Therefore, research is ongoing probing the future life of lead acid batteries. They have a weight disadvantage, but the technology is reliable and solid. The Consortium is exploring markets for hybrid vehicles, and grid scale energy storage applications according to Science Direct. This involves revisiting the chemistry and tweaking user technology.

Technology Behind the Future Life of Lead Acid Batteries

Open Access Government expects the lead battery market will grow by 61,000 megawatt-hours between 2025 and 2031. This huge growth reflects global society’s imperative to achieve decarbonization, while meeting growing demand for more electricity.

Stop-start technology in latest vehicles is reducing carbon emissions with help from lead acid batteries. Hybridization is also creating a bridge to fully electric vehicles. Lead batteries play an integral part in seamless restart and regenerative braking. They also play an essential role powering onboard electronics as auxiliary service.

However, perhaps their most important role will become powering small households harvesting energy from the sun and the wind. The promise of sustainable energy without global warming is steadily materializing. We do live in exciting times. Lead batteries will travel on with us!