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 , wherein the basic shape extends in a width to form a conversion volume containing active elements layered parallel to one another, and the conversion volume is part of a module volume 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 has a length , extending along a long side (7, 7 I ), which is at least three times a height , extending along a high side (9, 9', 109, 109 I ), of the basic shape . 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 , wherein the basic shape extends in a width to form a conversion volume containing active elements layered parallel to one another, and the conversion volume is part of a module volume 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 has a length , extending along a long side (7, 7 I ), which is at least three times a height , extending along a high side (9, 9', 109, 109 I ), of the basic shape . <EOS>