Gaston Planté (1834 – 1889) was the one to invent the first rechargeable battery in 1860, made out of the couple lead-sulfuric acid. His invention did not obtain an immediate success because of the impossibility to charge the accumulator. But ten years later, the scientist Gramme found a possible application to industry with his dynamo and from this moment on, Planté’s battery replaced all of the other batteries anciently used to power vehicles.
Planté’s lead battery was improved in 1881 by the french chemist Camille Faure. Nowadays, it is the most common accumulator as well as the one with the lowest cost price. It is used in most of the vehicles with internal combustion engines such as cars, motorcycles, electric bikes as well as in security equipment like fire alarms…
Gustave Planté never filed a patent for his invention, and he bequeathed his fortune to scientific institutions and researchers in need. Furthermore, his own three houses have been reframed in retirement homes dedicated to poor scientific researchers. He also offered money to the Sciences Academy in order to create a reward in electricity field. The first one was won by the famous scientist Pierre Curie.
