A lead acid electric storage battery uses conventional lead-acid secondary battery chemistry. The battery may be a sealed battery, an unsealed battery or a conventional multi-cell battery. The battery has a set of positive battery grids (plates) which are constructed with a body portion of thin titanium expanded metal having a thickness preferably in the range 0.1 mm to 0.9 mm and most preferably 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm. Typically the battery would have over 250 grids in a 12 inch long battery case.