How Electric Vehicle Batteries are Made

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HOW AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE BATTERY IS MADE

Batteries are made of five basic components:

1.

A resilient plastic container

2.

Positive and negative internal plates made of lead

3.

Plate separators made of porous synthetic material

4.

Electrolyte, a dilute solution of sulfuric acid and water, better known as battery acid

5.

Lead terminals, the connection point between the battery and whatever it powers

Battery

The manufacturing process begins with the production of a plastic container and cover. Most automotive battery containers and their covers are made of polypropylene. For a typical 12-volt car battery, the case is divided into six sections, or cells, shaped somewhat like one row in an ice-cube tray. The cover is dropped on and sealed when the battery is finished.

The process continues with the manufacture of grids or plates from lead or an alloy of lead and other metals. A battery must have positive and negative plates to conduct a charge.

Next, a paste mixture of lead oxide -- which is powdered lead and other materials -- sulfuric acid and water is applied to the grids. Expander material made of powdered sulfates is added to the paste to produce negative plates.

Inside the battery, the pasted positive and negative plates must be separated to prevent short circuits. Separators are thin sheets of porous, insulating material used as spacers between the positive and negative plates. Fine pores in the separators allow electrical current to flow between the plates while preventing short circuits.

Battery

Battery

In the next step, a positive plate is paired with a negative plate and a separator. This unit is called an element, and there is one element per battery cell, or compartment in the container. Elements are dropped into the cells in the battery case. The cells are connected with a metal that conducts electricity. The lead terminals, or posts, are then welded on.

The battery is then filled with electrolyte - or battery acid -- a mixture of sulfuric acid and water, and the cover is attached. The battery is checked for leaks.

The final step is charging, or finishing. During this step, the battery terminals are connected to a source of electricity and the battery is charged for many hours. When the battery is fully charged, it moves to another line where the case is cleaned, if necessary, and the labels are attached.

Battery

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