Battery Terminology

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Battery Terminology

This document contains definitions currently used in the automotive industry as they relate to energy storage and batteries for starting, lighting, and ignition applications, as well as for hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and electric vehicles (EVs). It is intended that this document be a resource for those writing other battery, HEV, and EV documents, specifications, standards, or recommended practices. The use of the term “battery” in this document can be assumed to be a rechargeable battery (secondary battery). The terminology may be applied to other industries if desired. This SAE Recommended Practice is revised based on two factors. First, in accordance with SAE procedures, a determination was made that the document’s content needed to be revised to reflect terms and definitions as they are being used currently. Second, since the original issuance of this document, recent battery technologies—such as lithium-ion—have been introduced in the transportation industry. Therefore, a need was identified for this document to include terms and definitions associated with these recent technologies. Revisions based on these two factors will provide readers of this document a source of updated and commonly used battery terms and definitions.