The problem with early batteries
Early batteries such as the voltaic pile and later cells made electricity through chemical reactions that could not easily be reversed. When the chemicals were used up, the cell was thrown away or rebuilt. A battery that could be recharged, using a generator or other source, would behave more like a store of energy than a disposable supply.
Planté’s cell
In 1859 the French physicist Gaston Planté presented a cell made of two lead sheets, separated by cloth and rolled into a spiral, immersed in dilute sulfuric acid. When current was passed through it, the surfaces of the lead changed chemically. When connected to a load, the cell released the energy again, and it could be charged and discharged many times.
In simplified terms, discharging converts both plates toward lead sulfate and uses up some of the acid. Charging reverses the process. This is why the acid grows weaker as a lead-acid battery runs down, a fact that later allowed its charge state to be estimated by measuring the acid’s density.
Planté’s early cells had low capacity, and getting a worthwhile amount of active material on the plates required long cycles of charging and discharging, a process called forming.
Faure and the pasted plate
In 1881 Camille Faure introduced plates coated with a paste of lead oxides, which gave a much greater capacity with less forming. Others, including Charles Brush in the United States, and a number of European inventors worked on similar improvements around the same time, so it is hard to give the credit to one person. Grids that hold the paste in place, usually made of lead alloys, became standard. Mass production started in the 1880s.
Early uses
Once electricity was generated on a large scale, there was a need to store it. Lead-acid cells powered telegraph stations, and backup supplies in power stations and lighting systems. They also drove early vehicles; several of the early electric cars used them, though the batteries were heavy. Submarines also carried large lead-acid banks for running underwater, a use that lasted well into the twentieth century.
The car problem: starting the engine
Early gasoline engines were started by hand with a crank. This was awkward, and it could be dangerous. If the engine fired out of time, it could kick the crank back against the driver’s arm. Many drivers disliked the effort of cranking and some people avoided cars because of it.
Electric starter motors were tried before the First World War, but the practical breakthrough is generally credited to Charles Kettering, working for Delco in the United States. A starter and generator system appeared on the 1912 Cadillac. The setup depended on a battery that could deliver a very large current for a few seconds, then be recharged by a generator while driving. Lead-acid cells suit that job well because they can supply high bursts of current at a reasonable cost.
The same battery also powered the lights and ignition. From the 1910s and 1920s onward, electric starting spread across most car makers, which helped broaden the appeal of motoring, including to drivers who had been put off by the crank.
Why lead-acid lasted
Lead-acid batteries are heavy for the energy they hold, and they contain lead and acid that need careful recycling. Even so, they remain widely used. They are cheap, they tolerate rough treatment, and the materials are among the most recycled consumer products in many countries. Sealed designs that do not need topping up with water, and valve-regulated versions, appeared in the second half of the twentieth century.
Newer chemistries like lithium-ion batteries have taken over many roles, especially where weight matters, and they are now found in many electric vehicles. But for starting a conventional engine, the lead-acid design is still the common choice.
A note on safety
This is a history, not a how-to. Lead-acid batteries contain corrosive acid and can release flammable hydrogen when charged, which is why historical accounts mention ventilation and care. Anyone handling one today should follow the manufacturer’s instructions.