Life Testing of Lead Acid Batteries for Electric Vehicle Duties

The lead-acid couple is potentially capable of fulfilling the battery requirement for high performance electric delivery vehicles in the one tonne payload category. Development of such a battery, combining high energy density and good cycle life, involves extensive and painstaking testing. During the course of the Lucas development programme test methods and procedures have been evolved to ensure that the battery array with its supporting equipment is capable of fully performing the tasks required of it in such an application. Much of the experience gained is applicable to any electrochemical couple being developed for electric vehicle use.