Electric battery common fuels such as gasoline. In automobiles, this is somewhat offset by the higher efficiency of electric motors in converting chemical energy to mechanical work, compared to combustion engines. The usage of "battery" to describe a group of electrical devices dates to Benjamin Franklin, who in 1748 described multiple Leyden jars by analogy to a battery of cannon (Benjamin Franklin borrowed the term "battery" from the military, which refers to weapons functioning together). Italian physicist Alessandro Volta built and described the first electrochemical battery, the voltaic pile, in 1800. This was a stack of copper and zinc plates, separated by
Battery electric vehicle and their components. The US has pledged in federal grants for electric cars and batteries. China has announced it will provide to initiate an electric car industry. In 2015, it was the first time BYD also ranked first in accumulated global sales throughout an entire year – with a total of over 43,073 NEVs sold (a >220% surge compared to last year), exceeding all American, Japanese and European leaders to date. Cumulative global sales of highway-capable battery electric cars and vans passed the 1 million unit milestone in September 2016. The Renault-Nissan Alliance is the leading all-electric vehicle manufacturer. The