Battery cell for a motor vehicle, having a plurality of battery cells connected in series and/or in parallel, wherein the respective battery cell of the battery has a battery cell housing in which a galvanic element is accommodated, and two electrical terminals (28, 30) by which the battery cell is electrically connected to at least one further battery cell of the battery, characterised by at least one switching element which can be changed by means of a controller arranged inside the battery cell housing to a switching state in which an electrically conductive connection between an arrester of the galvanic element and at least one of the electrical terminals (28, 30) is interrupted, wherein by the controller and/or by at least one sensor coupled to the controller at least one parameter from a group can be detected, which group comprises - a current intensity of a current flowing through the battery cell and/or - a temperature and/or - a voltage and/or - a pressure and/or - a mechanical stress and/or - a condition of an electrolyte of the galvanic element and/or - an acceleration, wherein the controller is designed, depending on the at least one parameter, to change the at least one switching element to the switching state in which the electrically conductive connection between the arrester of the galvanic element and the at least one electrical terminal (28, 30) is interrupted, wherein the controller has an interface which can be used to modify a threshold value of the at least one parameter, such that when the threshold value is exceeded, the at least one switching element is changed to the switching state, wherein triggering criteria can be adjusted via the interface by modifying characteristic curves or characteristic curve fields which are stored in a memory module of the controller. at least one switching element which can be changed by means of a controller arranged inside the battery cell housing to a switching state in which an electrically conductive connection between an arrester of the galvanic element and at least one of the electrical terminals (28, 30) is interrupted, wherein by the controller and/or by at least one sensor coupled to the controller at least one parameter from a group can be detected, which group comprises - a current intensity of a current flowing through the battery cell and/or - a temperature and/or - a voltage and/or - a pressure and/or - a mechanical stress and/or - a condition of an electrolyte of the galvanic element and/or - an acceleration, - a current intensity of a current flowing through the battery cell and/or - a temperature and/or - a voltage and/or - a pressure and/or - a mechanical stress and/or - a condition of an electrolyte of the galvanic element and/or - an acceleration, wherein the controller is designed, depending on the at least one parameter, to change the at least one switching element to the switching state in which the electrically conductive connection between the arrester of the galvanic element and the at least one electrical terminal (28, 30) is interrupted, wherein the controller has an interface which can be used to modify a threshold value of the at least one parameter, such that when the threshold value is exceeded, the at least one switching element is changed to the switching state, wherein triggering criteria can be adjusted via the interface by modifying characteristic curves or characteristic curve fields which are stored in a memory module of the controller.