The application of lead-acid batteries for automobile applications has to meet stringent specification guidelines. Design engineers are more concerned to meet the high rate discharge (HRD) performance of a battery, particularly for automobile applications. The required HRD is to be tested to the full satisfaction of the ultimate user. This paper gives a review on lead-acid batteries manufactured in India with special focus on their HRD performance. Basically, there is a cut-off voltage (which is 7.20 V for a 12 V battery system) down to which the battery shall be able satisfactorily to deliver current to the starting mechanism of a vehicle at the low critical temperature of -18 degreesC. For determination of HRD performance under simulated conditions a high rate discharge tester is used to draw a constant discharge current from the battery, kept and conditioned in a cold chamber. It uses a built-in data acquisition system for logging of current and voltage values at an interval of 5 s.