An electrochemical cell, comprising: a) a casing, comprising: i) an annular sidewall extending to an upper open end spaced from a lower open end, the annular sidewall having an inner surface; ii) a lid closing the upper open end of the annular sidewall, wherein the lid has a hermetically sealed electrolyte fill port extending from a lid outer surface to a lid inner surface; iii) a current collector contacted to the inner surface of the lid; iv) a lower plate; v) a dielectric material coating the lower open end of the annular sidewall and coating at least a portion of the inner surface of the annular sidewall; and vi) a ring-shaped sealing glass in a glass-to-metal sealed relationship with the lower plate and in a hermetically sealed relationship with the dielectric material coating the lower open end of the annular sidewall, vii) wherein at least one electrolyte channel (30A, 30B, 30C, 30D) in the inner surface of the lid extends radially outwardly from the electrolyte fill port and beyond an outer peripheral edge of the current collector; and b) an electrode assembly housed inside the casing, the electrode assembly comprising: i) an anode active material; ii) a cathode active material; and iii) a separator segregating the anode active material from directed physical contact with the cathode active material, iv) wherein one of the anode and cathode active materials contacts the current collector in turn contacting the lid serving as one terminal for the cell, and the other of the anode and cathode active materials contacts the lower plate serving as the other terminal for the cell; and c) an activating electrolyte contacting the electrode assembly. a) a casing, comprising: i) an annular sidewall extending to an upper open end spaced from a lower open end, the annular sidewall having an inner surface; ii) a lid closing the upper open end of the annular sidewall, wherein the lid has a hermetically sealed electrolyte fill port extending from a lid outer surface to a lid inner surface; iii) a current collector contacted to the inner surface of the lid; iv) a lower plate; v) a dielectric material coating the lower open end of the annular sidewall and coating at least a portion of the inner surface of the annular sidewall; and vi) a ring-shaped sealing glass in a glass-to-metal sealed relationship with the lower plate and in a hermetically sealed relationship with the dielectric material coating the lower open end of the annular sidewall, vii) wherein at least one electrolyte channel (30A, 30B, 30C, 30D) in the inner surface of the lid extends radially outwardly from the electrolyte fill port and beyond an outer peripheral edge of the current collector; and i) an annular sidewall extending to an upper open end spaced from a lower open end, the annular sidewall having an inner surface; ii) a lid closing the upper open end of the annular sidewall, wherein the lid has a hermetically sealed electrolyte fill port extending from a lid outer surface to a lid inner surface; iii) a current collector contacted to the inner surface of the lid; iv) a lower plate; v) a dielectric material coating the lower open end of the annular sidewall and coating at least a portion of the inner surface of the annular sidewall; and vi) a ring-shaped sealing glass in a glass-to-metal sealed relationship with the lower plate and in a hermetically sealed relationship with the dielectric material coating the lower open end of the annular sidewall, vii) wherein at least one electrolyte channel (30A, 30B, 30C, 30D) in the inner surface of the lid extends radially outwardly from the electrolyte fill port and beyond an outer peripheral edge of the current collector; and b) an electrode assembly housed inside the casing, the electrode assembly comprising: i) an anode active material; ii) a cathode active material; and iii) a separator segregating the anode active material from directed physical contact with the cathode active material, iv) wherein one of the anode and cathode active materials contacts the current collector in turn contacting the lid serving as one terminal for the cell, and the other of the anode and cathode active materials contacts the lower plate serving as the other terminal for the cell; and i) an anode active material; ii) a cathode active material; and iii) a separator segregating the anode active material from directed physical contact with the cathode active material, iv) wherein one of the anode and cathode active materials contacts the current collector in turn contacting the lid serving as one terminal for the cell, and the other of the anode and cathode active materials contacts the lower plate serving as the other terminal for the cell; and c) an activating electrolyte contacting the electrode assembly.