A battery includes a stacked arrangement of electrochemical cells. Each electrochemical cell is free of a cell housing and includes a bipolar plate having a substrate, a first active material layer formed on a first surface of the substrate, and a second active material layer formed on a second surface of the substrate. Each cell includes a solid electrolyte layer that encapsulates at least one of the active material layers, and an edge insulating device that is disposed between the peripheral edges of the substrates of each pair of adjacent cells. The edge insulating device physically contacts and is directly secured to one of the first surface of one cell and the solid electrolyte layer of an adjacent cell, and is movable relative to, the other of the first surface of the one cell and the solid electrolyte layer of the adjacent cell.