Lead battery technology has advanced significantly over the past 20 years. Today, lead batteries provide unprecedented performance and power to help meet our nation’s growing energy storage needs.
Driving that innovation are smart partnerships between companies and universities. Their synergy is yielding innovative applications for key sectors, like renewable energy.
Battery manufacturers and recyclers are also investing millions to delve deeper into future applications for this essential technology.
Whether powering sustainable transportation, providing crucial emergency backup power, or safeguarding data connectivity, lead batteries are a vital part of our energy future.
Without question, this is an exciting time for lead battery technology. Significant potential remains – and dollars are in place – to push its boundaries in performance, applications, cost reduction and supply security.
- Performance improvements in lead batteries are transforming the transportation industry by reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, powering next-generation (xEVs) vehicles and increasing vehicle electrical demands.
- Ongoing, advanced research driven by partnerships between companies and universities is yielding new applications in energy storage and transportation.
- New lead battery advancements have extended the life of traditional batteries by 30 to 35 percent over the last 20 years. This enables low-cost, large-scale deployment of micro- and mild hybrids with significant fuel economy and reduced emissions.
- By 2020, it is predicted that the use of start-stop lead batteries will eliminate two million tons of vehicle greenhouse gas emissions. This is the equivalent to the annual energy usage of 211,000 U.S. households.
- Lead batteries provide auxiliary power for virtually all plug-in hybrid and full-electric vehicles.
- Significant potential remains for further advancements in performance, applications, cost reduction and supply security.
Battery storage advancements are changing our life in ways seen and unseen. For example, lead batteries provide auxiliary power for virtually all plug-in hybrid and full-electric vehicles. And progress will continue. Nearly a dozen U.S. universities are actively researching continued improvements in lead battery performance and applications.
