A 12 volt battery (lower right) under the Nissan Leaf hood.
Modern electric cars were made possible by lithium-ion batteries. But look under the hood of any electric vehicle and you’ll find a second battery, a lead-acid battery, whose purpose is to power the 12-volt system. A reader asked us why isn’t this a lithium-ion battery as well?
Lead-acid batteries have an obvious problem: their weight. Specifically, the energy density, or kilowatt-hours of energy storage per kilogram of weight. Using a lithium-ion battery instead of a lead acid battery for the 12 volt system would reduce the car’s weight, improving its overall efficiency.
Another problem with lead acid batteries is toxicity. Some of us buy electric cars because they’re kinder on the environment, and lead acid batteries are not exactly clean nor kind to the environment. Lead itself is toxic, especially to young children, and there are several toxic chemicals used in lead battery manufacturing.
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