Although simple batteries have existed for at least 200 years, the battery industry traces its roots to the early 1900s.
Automotive batteries are a distinct secondary battery market subsector.
As such, most of the battery industry is considered mature, with demand closely related to the sales of either automobiles or various consumer products. Unlike many mature industries, battery demand is also related to service life, and hence, replacement sales. Even rechargeable secondary batteries must eventually be discarded and replaced. In many applications, replacement sales are the driving force in market growth. On the other hand, there are areas where the battery industry could experience the explosive growth usually associated with juvenile industries.