As the electric automobile at last becomes available to customers of the major automobile manufacturers, the debate over what are the essential performance characteristics that will encourage large-scale electric vehicle (EV) penetration of the domestic transport sector continues unresolved. All are agreed that the EV battery is a key element in this consideration and, accordingly, the development of candidate batteries is currently proceeding at an unprecedented rate. This paper considers the several parameters that will influence strongly the purchase decision for EVs and proposes a simple methodology for rating the performance of candidate batteries against a single benchmark. The progressive development of the valve-regulated lead/acid (VRLA) battery through the 1990s to meet the required performance is then reviewed.