Traction battery (1, 1 I, 1 II, 101, 101 I, 101 II, 201, 301), in particular for a motor vehicle such as a passenger car, comprising stacked, prismatic electrochemical secondary cells (3, 3 I, 3 II, 3 III, 103, 103 I), which have in section a rectangular, elongated basic shape (5, 105), wherein the basic shape (5, 105) extends in a width to form a conversion volume containing active elements (19, 119) layered parallel to one another, and the conversion volume is part of a module volume (23, 123) of the traction battery (1, 1 I, 1 II, 101, 101 I, 101 II, 201, 301), of which several or individual secondary cells (3, 3 I, 3 II, 3 III, 103, 103 I) arranged in a cell housing (31, 31 I, 31 II, 131, 131 I, 131 II, 131 III, 231, 231 I, 231 II, 231 III, 331, 331 I, 331 II, 331 III) that has at least four sides and/or in a module housing (33, 33 I, 133, 133 I, 133", 233, 333) that has at least four sides are combined as a battery pack, characterized in that the module housing (33, 33', 133, 133 I, 133 II, 233, 333) or the cell housing (31, 31 I, 31 II, 131, 131 I, 131 II, 131 III, 231, 231 I, 231 II, 231 III, 331, 331 I, 331 II, 331 III) comprises an extrusion profile that has the four sides as housing sides forming a closed casing that has different thicknesses (69, 69 I) on different sides (61, 61 I, 161, 161 I, 261, 261 I; 63, 63 I, 163, 263, 363; 65, 65 I, 165, 265, 365; 67, 67', 167, 167'), of which one side supports the secondary cells (3, 3 I, 3 II, 3 III, 103, 103 I) as a carrier plate (45, 145, 145 I, 245) or a cover plate and at the same time is a cooling plate, wherein the basic shape (5, 105) has a length, extending along a long side (7, 7 I), which is at least three times a height (15, 115), extending along a high side (9, 9', 109, 109 I), of the basic shape (5, 105). in particular for a motor vehicle such as a passenger car, comprising stacked, prismatic electrochemical secondary cells (3, 3 I, 3 II, 3 III, 103, 103 I), which have in section a rectangular, elongated basic shape (5, 105), wherein the basic shape (5, 105) extends in a width to form a conversion volume containing active elements (19, 119) layered parallel to one another, and the conversion volume is part of a module volume (23, 123) of the traction battery (1, 1 I, 1 II, 101, 101 I, 101 II, 201, 301), of which several or individual secondary cells (3, 3 I, 3 II, 3 III, 103, 103 I) arranged in a cell housing (31, 31 I, 31 II, 131, 131 I, 131 II, 131 III, 231, 231 I, 231 II, 231 III, 331, 331 I, 331 II, 331 III) that has at least four sides and/or in a module housing (33, 33 I, 133, 133 I, 133", 233, 333) that has at least four sides are combined as a battery pack, characterized in that the module housing (33, 33', 133, 133 I, 133 II, 233, 333) or the cell housing (31, 31 I, 31 II, 131, 131 I, 131 II, 131 III, 231, 231 I, 231 II, 231 III, 331, 331 I, 331 II, 331 III) comprises an extrusion profile that has the four sides as housing sides forming a closed casing that has different thicknesses (69, 69 I) on different sides (61, 61 I, 161, 161 I, 261, 261 I; 63, 63 I, 163, 263, 363; 65, 65 I, 165, 265, 365; 67, 67', 167, 167'), of which one side supports the secondary cells (3, 3 I, 3 II, 3 III, 103, 103 I) as a carrier plate (45, 145, 145 I, 245) or a cover plate and at the same time is a cooling plate, wherein the basic shape (5, 105) has a length, extending along a long side (7, 7 I), which is at least three times a height (15, 115), extending along a high side (9, 9', 109, 109 I), of the basic shape (5, 105).