Gaston Planté

The first practical rechargeable battery in history was invented in 1859 by French physicist Gaston Planté. He developed the lead-acid battery by immersing two lead plates in a solution of sulfuric acid. This foundational technology is still used in most traditional car batteries today.

Planté's invention consisted of two lead plates immersed in sulfuric acid, which could be recharged by passing a reverse current through them. This electrochemical process allowed the battery to store and release electrical energy multiple times. By repeatedly charging and discharging the cell, the lead plates formed a thicker active layer, increasing its capacity.

Gaston Planté (1834–1889) was a French physicist who made a monumental contribution to modern technology by inventing the lead-acid battery. He demonstrated his rechargeable battery to the French Academy of Sciences in the mid-19th century. His work laid the essential groundwork for modern automotive and stationary energy storage.

A Planté battery, which is the original version of the lead-acid battery, uses sulfuric acid as its electrolyte. Gaston Planté discovered that submerging two lead plates in this acid allowed the cell to store electrical charge. The chemical reaction between the lead and the sulfuric acid is what generates the electrical current.