Electric batteries have been around in one form or another for a long time, dating back to the 1800s when they were first developed by Allesandro Volta. Many people are familiar with this idea, and some may even know the exact history of it through their schooling or personal studies. Despite this, disposable batteries probably seem like a relatively new or recent invention. In fact, you might think they were developed more or less in conjunction with modern electronics. However, when you investigate how long rechargeable batteries have actually been around, you might be shocked to discover the real answer. It turns out that rechargeable batteries have been around almost as long as Volta’s original batteries.
A French physicist named Gaston Planté was the first to create a rechargeable battery way back in 1859, over 160 years ago. Perhaps even more extraordinary is that his designs, which used lead technology, still exist today. Early models consisted of a glass jar containing two rolls of pure lead foil separated by a cloth, immersed in a solution of sulfuric acid. The idea has changed a bit over time, becoming more efficient through the use of unique alloys and updated designs, but lead-acid batteries are still used in many modern applications. This is because materials are readily available and batteries are both inexpensive to manufacture and can provide high energy densities with a solid lifespan. You can find lead-acid batteries in vehicles large and small, in industrial machinery, and in backup power systems, including support for renewable energy storage.
Of course, older models certainly weren’t USB rechargeable like some current models. But their origins, at least the very first of their kind, are the same.
Rechargeable batteries have come a long way
It’s quite wonderful to consider that such an old technology still has a use in today’s world. It’s also hard to believe that today’s rechargeable batteries, which last between 800 and 1,000 charge cycles each, were inspired by a rudimentary lead-acid setup. This is especially true since the original Planté battery design lost significant capacity after each charge. It took three months or more of repeated charging for these basic batteries to build up enough juice to be used again. Can you imagine waiting three months before you can reuse your set of batteries for your devices?
Lithium batteries were developed much more recently, in the late 1950s, when researchers began experimenting with the material in electrolytes and observing its properties. Later, in the 1960s, the first lithium batteries came onto the market. Many lithium battery variations have been developed over the years, each using a slightly different chemical composition.
The next question relevant to this information is: why aren’t all batteries rechargeable if they have been around for so long? There are two schools of thought here, one more banal than the other. The first is that disposable batteries may offer properties more conducive to certain use cases, such as larger capacities or long-term use in low-power devices. The other explanation is simply that they are often much cheaper to produce with less complex designs, and are therefore better for the manufacturer’s bottom line.
