A rechargeable electrochemical cell system for generating electrical current using a metal fuel and an oxidant, the cell system comprising: an electrochemical cell comprising: (i) a fuel electrode comprising N permeable electrode bodies (12a-d) arranged in spaced apart relation in order 1 to N, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to two, the fuel electrode comprising metal fuel on the permeable electrode bodies; (ii) an oxidant electrode spaced apart from the fuel electrode; (iii) a charging electrode selected from the group consisting of (a) the oxidant electrode, and (b) a separate charging electrode spaced from the fuel and oxidant electrodes; and (iv) an ionically conductive medium communicating the electrodes for conducting ions to support electrochemical reactions at the electrodes; wherein the fuel and oxidant electrodes are configured to, during a discharging mode, oxidize the metal fuel on the permeable electrode bodies and reduce the oxidant at the oxidant electrode, thus generating a potential difference for application to a load; a plurality of switches for selectively coupling each electrode body 2 to N of the fuel electrode and the charging electrode to a power source for application of a cathodic potential to electrode body 1 by the power source; a controller configured to control the plurality of switches during the recharging an mode to manage application of an anodic potential from the power source to the permeable electrode bodies 2 to N and the charging electrode in a manner so as to cause (a) electrodeposition of the metal fuel, via reduction of reducible ions of the metal fuel from the ionically conductive medium, to grow progressively from electrode body 1 towards the charging electrode with the electrodeposition progressively connecting each subsequent electrode body 2 to N to the electrode body 1 for application of the cathodic potential to each subsequently connected electrode body, (b) removal of the anodic potential from each subsequently connected electrode body, and an electrochemical cell comprising: (i) a fuel electrode comprising N permeable electrode bodies (12a-d) arranged in spaced apart relation in order 1 to N, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to two, the fuel electrode comprising metal fuel on the permeable electrode bodies; (ii) an oxidant electrode spaced apart from the fuel electrode; (iii) a charging electrode selected from the group consisting of (a) the oxidant electrode, and (b) a separate charging electrode spaced from the fuel and oxidant electrodes; and (iv) an ionically conductive medium communicating the electrodes for conducting ions to support electrochemical reactions at the electrodes; (i) a fuel electrode comprising N permeable electrode bodies (12a-d) arranged in spaced apart relation in order 1 to N, wherein N is an integer greater than or equal to two, the fuel electrode comprising metal fuel on the permeable electrode bodies; (ii) an oxidant electrode spaced apart from the fuel electrode; (iii) a charging electrode selected from the group consisting of (a) the oxidant electrode, and (b) a separate charging electrode spaced from the fuel and oxidant electrodes; and (iv) an ionically conductive medium communicating the electrodes for conducting ions to support electrochemical reactions at the electrodes; wherein the fuel and oxidant electrodes are configured to, during a discharging mode, oxidize the metal fuel on the permeable electrode bodies and reduce the oxidant at the oxidant electrode, thus generating a potential difference for application to a load; a plurality of switches for selectively coupling each electrode body 2 to N of the fuel electrode and the charging electrode to a power source for application of a cathodic potential to electrode body 1 by the power source; a controller configured to control the plurality of switches during the recharging an mode to manage application of an anodic potential from the power source to the permeable electrode bodies 2 to N and the charging electrode in a manner so as to cause (a) electrodeposition of the metal fuel, via reduction of reducible ions of the metal fuel from the ionically conductive medium, to grow progressively from electrode body 1 towards the charging electrode with the electrodeposition progressively connecting each subsequent electrode body 2 to N to the electrode body 1 for application of the cathodic potential to each subsequently connected electrode body, (b) removal of the anodic potential from each subsequently connected electrode body, and (a) electrodeposition of the metal fuel, via reduction of reducible ions of the metal fuel from the ionically conductive medium, to grow progressively from electrode body 1 towards the charging electrode with the electrodeposition progressively connecting each subsequent electrode body 2 to N to the electrode body 1 for application of the cathodic potential to each subsequently connected electrode body, (b) removal of the anodic potential from each subsequently connected electrode body, and