Design And Function: Introduction
WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2010 Volvo V70, 2009 Volvo V70, and 2008 Volvo V70. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.
The battery type used in most cars is usually know as a lead accumulator. These batteries are so named because the electrodes are lead and the role of the battery is to store (accumulate) energy.
A key characteristic of lead accumulators is that they can meet the extreme physical requirements for charging and discharging. Lead accumulators provide optimal performance as both starter and reserve power batteries. Lead accumulators are relatively cheap to produce and can store large amounts of energy. As a result, lead accumulators make up in excess of 50% of the entire battery market.