A center contact plate (850A; 835B; 900; 1100) configured to establish electrical bonds between battery cells in a battery module, comprising: a cell terminal connection layer including a first set of bonding connectors and a second set of bonding connectors; characterized by: first and second primary conductive layers (910, 915) sandwiching the cell terminal connection layer, the first and second primary conductive layers and the cell terminal connection layer each including: a first set of holes formed within the cell terminal connection layer and the respective primary conductive layers that are configured for alignment with positive terminals of a first group of battery cells that are configured to be connected in parallel with each other; and a second set of holes formed within the cell terminal connection layer and the respective primary conductive players that are configured for alignment with negative terminals of a second group of battery cells that are configured to be connected in parallel with each other, wherein the first and second sets of holes are each clustered together on different sides of the respective primary conductive layer, wherein each hole among the first set of holes is configured as a contact area where at least one bonding connector from the first set of bonding connectors of the cell terminal connection layer is configured to connect to at least one positive terminal of the first group of battery cells, wherein each hole among the second set of holes is configured as a contact area where at least one bonding connector from the second set of bonding connectors of the cell terminal connection layer is configured to connect to at least one negative terminal of the second group of battery cells, and wherein each bonding connector of the first and second sets of bonding connectors is connected to the center contact plate inside a respective hole from either the first or second set of holes. a first set of holes formed within the cell terminal connection layer and the respective primary conductive layers that are configured for alignment with positive terminals of a first group of battery cells that are configured to be connected in parallel with each other; and a second set of holes formed within the cell terminal connection layer and the respective primary conductive players that are configured for alignment with negative terminals of a second group of battery cells that are configured to be connected in parallel with each other, wherein the first and second sets of holes are each clustered together on different sides of the respective primary conductive layer, wherein each hole among the first set of holes is configured as a contact area where at least one bonding connector from the first set of bonding connectors of the cell terminal connection layer is configured to connect to at least one positive terminal of the first group of battery cells, wherein each hole among the second set of holes is configured as a contact area where at least one bonding connector from the second set of bonding connectors of the cell terminal connection layer is configured to connect to at least one negative terminal of the second group of battery cells, and wherein each bonding connector of the first and second sets of bonding connectors is connected to the center contact plate inside a respective hole from either the first or second set of holes.