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                                                                    EXHIBIT 10.1

                               EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES
                            2004 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

                         -------------------------------

                        RESTRICTED SHARES AWARD AGREEMENT

                         ------------------------------

                               AWARD NO. _________

            You are hereby awarded Restricted Shares subject to the terms and
conditions set forth in this Restricted Shares Award Agreement ("Award
Agreement"), and in the Exide Technologies 2004 Stock Incentive Plan (the
"Plan"), which is attached. You should carefully review these documents, and
consult with your personal financial advisor, in order to fully understand the
implications of this Award, including your tax alternatives and their
consequences.

            By executing this Award Agreement, you agree to be bound by all of
the terms and conditions as if they had been set out verbatim in this Award
Agreement. In addition, you recognize and agree that all determinations,
interpretations, or other actions respecting the Plan and this Award Agreement
will be made by the Board of Directors of Exide Technologies (the "Board") or
the Committee pursuant to Section 4 of the Plan, and that such determinations,
interpretations or other actions are (unless arbitrary and capricious) final,
conclusive and binding upon all parties, including you, your heirs, and
representatives. Capitalized terms are defined in the Plan or in this Award
Agreement.

1. SPECIFIC TERMS. Your Restricted Shares have the following terms:

Name of Participant

Number of Shares
Subject to Award Agreement

Award Date                    October 13, 2004

Vesting                       Your Restricted Shares under this Award Agreement
                              shall vest at the rate of 20% on October 13, 2005,
                              20% on October 13, 2006, 20% on October 13, 2007,
                              20% on October 13, 2008, and the remaining 20% on
                              October 13, 2009; subject in each case to
                              acceleration as provided in the Plan, to the
                              shareholder approval condition set forth in
                              Section 7 below, and to your Continuous Service
                              with the Company not ending
                              before the vesting date

Lifetime Transfer             Allowed.

2. DIVIDENDS. Any cash dividends on your Restricted Shares will be held by the
Company (unsegregated as part of its general assets) until the period of
forfeiture lapses (and forfeited if the underlying Shares are forfeited), and
paid over to you as soon as practicable after such period lapses (if not
forfeited).

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3. INVESTMENT PURPOSES. You acknowledge that you are acquiring your Restricted
Shares for investment purposes only and without any present intention of selling
or distributing them.

4. ISSUANCE OF RESTRICTED SHARES. Until all vesting restrictions lapse, any
certificates that you receive for Restricted Shares will include a legend
stating that they are subject to the restrictions set forth in the Plan and this
Award Agreement.

5. LAPSE OF VESTING RESTRICTIONS. As vesting restrictions lapse, the Company
shall cause certificates for Shares to be issued and delivered to you, with such
legends and restrictions that the Committee determines to be appropriate.
Certificates shall not be delivered to you unless you have made arrangements
satisfactory to the Committee to satisfy tax-withholding obligations.

6. SECTION 83(b) ELECTION NOTICE. If you are a U.S. citizen and make an election
under Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, with
respect to the Shares underlying your Restricted Shares (a "Section 83(b)
election"), you agree to provide a copy of such election to the Company within
10 days after filing that election with the Internal Revenue Service. Exhibit A
contains a suggested form of Section 83(b) election.

7. SHAREHOLDER APPROVAL CONDITION. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained herein or in the Plan and pursuant to Section 17 of the Plan, this
Award is expressly conditioned on the Plan being approved by the shareholders of
the Company. Accordingly, no Shares shall be delivered hereunder until such
approval has been obtained, and this Award shall become null, void, and of no
force or effect if such approval is not received within the period set forth in
Section 17 of the Plan.

8. OCCURRENCE OF A CHANGE IN CORPORATE CONTROL. Notwithstanding Section 11(c) of
the Plan, if these Restricted Shares are assumed or substituted by a Successor
Corporation in a Change in Control, and your employment is Involuntarily
Terminated by the Successor Corporation in connection with, or within 12 months
following consummation of, the Change in Control, then your right to these
Restricted Shares shall become fully vested.

9. TRANSFER. This Award Agreement may not be sold, pledged, or otherwise
transferred without the prior written consent of the Committee.

10. DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary
contained herein or in the Plan, following the execution of this Award
Agreement, you may expressly designate a beneficiary (the "Beneficiary") to your
interest, if any, in the Restricted Shares awarded hereby. You shall designate
the Beneficiary by completing and executing a designation of beneficiary
agreement substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B (the
"Designation of Beneficiary") and delivering an executed copy of the Designation
of Beneficiary to the Company.

11. NOTICES. Any notice, payment or communication required or permitted to be
given by any provision of this Award Agreement shall be in writing and shall be
delivered personally or sent by certified mail, return receipt requested,
addressed as follows: (i) if to the Company, at the address set forth on the
signature page, to the attention of: Executive Vice President -- Human
Resources; (ii) if to you, at the address set forth below your signature on the
signature page. Each party may, from time to time, by notice to the other party
hereto, specify a new address for delivery of notices relating to this Award
Agreement. Any such notice shall be deemed to be given as of the date such
notice is personally delivered or properly mailed.

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12. BINDING EFFECT. Except as otherwise provided in this Award Agreement or in
the Plan, every covenant, term, and provision of this Award Agreement shall be
binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective
heirs, legatees, legal representatives, successors, transferees, and assigns.

13. MODIFICATIONS. This Award Agreement may be modified or amended at any time
by the Committee, provided that your consent must be obtained for any
modification that adversely alters or impairs any rights or obligations under
this Award Agreement, unless there is an express Plan provision permitting the
Committee to act unilaterally to make the modification.

14. HEADINGS. Headings shall be ignored in interpreting this Award Agreement.

15. SEVERABILITY. Every provision of this Award Agreement and the Plan is
intended to be severable, and any illegal or invalid term shall not affect the
validity or legality of the remaining terms.

16. GOVERNING LAW. This Award Agreement shall be interpreted, administered and
otherwise subject to the laws of the State of Delaware (disregarding any
choice-of-law provisions).

17. COUNTERPARTS. This Award Agreement may be executed by the parties hereto in
separate counterparts, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be an
original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute the same
instrument.

            BY YOUR SIGNATURE BELOW, along with the signature of the Company's
representative, you and the Company agree that the Restricted Shares are awarded
under and governed by the terms and conditions of this Award Agreement and the
Plan.

                                 EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES

                                 By: __________________________________________
                                     A duly authorized Director or Officer

                                 Address: 13000 Deerfield Parkway
                                          Building 200
                                          Alpharetta, GA 30004

 The undersigned hereby accepts the terms of this Award Agreement and the Plan.

                                 _______________________________________________

                                 Address: ______________________________________
                                          ______________________________________

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                               EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES
                            2004 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

                                    EXHIBIT A

                           SECTION 83(b) ELECTION FORM

Attached is an Internal Revenue Code Section 83(b) Election Form. IF YOU WISH TO
MAKE A SECTION 83(B) ELECTION, YOU MUST DO SO WITHIN 30 DAYS AFTER THE DATE THE
RESTRICTED SHARES COVERED BY THE ELECTION WERE TRANSFERRED TO YOU. In order to
make the election, you must completely fill out the attached form and file one
copy with the Internal Revenue Service office where you file your tax return. In
addition, one copy of the statement also must be submitted with your income tax
return for the taxable year in which you make this election. Finally, you also
must submit a copy of the election form to the Company within 10 days after
filing that election with the Internal Revenue Service. A Section 83(b) election
normally cannot be revoked.

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                               EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES
                            2004 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

         ELECTION TO INCLUDE VALUE OF RESTRICTED SHARES IN GROSS INCOME
          IN YEAR OF TRANSFER UNDER INTERNAL REVENUE CODE SECTION 83(b)

      Pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, I hereby elect
within 30 days after receiving the property described herein to be taxed
immediately on its value specified in item 5 below.

1.    My General Information:

                     Name: ___________________________________
                     Address: ________________________________
                              ________________________________

                     S.S.N.
                     or T.I.N.: _____________________________

2.    Description of the property with respect to which I am making this
      election:

          ____________________ shares of ___________ stock of Exide
          Technologies Restricted Shares.

3.    The Restricted Shares were transferred to me on ______________ ___, 20__.
      This election relates to the 20____ calendar taxable year.

4.    The Restricted Shares are subject to the following restrictions:

            The Restricted Shares are forfeitable until they is are earned in
            accordance with Section 8 of the Exide Technologies 2004 Stock
            Incentive Plan ("Plan") Restricted Shares Award Agreement ("Award
            Agreement") or other Award Agreement or Plan provisions. The
            Restricted Shares generally are not transferable until my interest
            becomes vested and nonforfeitable, pursuant to the Award Agreement
            and the Plan.

5.    Fair market value:

            The fair market value at the time of transfer (determined without
            regard to any restrictions other than restrictions which by their
            terms never will lapse) of the Restricted Shares with respect to
            which I am making this election is $_____ per share.

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6.    Amount paid for Restricted Shares:

            The amount I paid for the Restricted Shares is $____ per share.

7.    Furnishing statement to employer:

            A copy of this statement has been furnished to my employer,
            ______________. If the transferor of the Restricted Shares is not my
            employer, that entity also has been furnished with a copy of this
            statement.

8.    Award Agreement or Plan not affected:

            Nothing contained herein shall be held to change any of the terms or
            conditions of the Award Agreement or the Plan.

Dated: ____________ __, 200_.

                                                  ______________________________
                                                     Taxpayer

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                               EXIDE TECHNOLOGIES
                            2004 STOCK INCENTIVE PLAN

                                    EXHIBIT B

                           DESIGNATION OF BENEFICIARY

      In connection with the RESTRICTED SHARE AWARD AGREEMENT (the "Award
Agreement") entered into on _______________, 200_ between Exide Technologies
(the "Company") and _______________, an individual residing at
________________________________________________________________ (the
"Recipient"), the Recipient hereby designates the person specified below as the
beneficiary of the Recipient's interest in Restricted Shares (as defined in the
2004 Stock Incentive Plan of the Company awarded pursuant to the Award
Agreement. This designation shall remain in effect until revoked in writing by
the Recipient.

                     Name of Beneficiary: ______________________________

                     Address:             ______________________________

                                          ______________________________

                                          ______________________________

                     Social Security No.: ______________________________

      The Recipient understands that this designation operates to entitle the
above-named beneficiary to the rights conferred by the Award Agreement from the
date this form is delivered to the Company until such date as this designation
is revoked in writing by the Recipient, including by delivery to the Company of
a written designation of beneficiary executed by the Recipient on a later date.

                                                      Date: ____________________

                                                        By: ____________________
                                                            [Recipient Name]

Sworn to before me this
____ day of ____________, 200_

________________________________
Notary Public

County of _________________
State of __________________