A lightweight lead-coated glass fibre mesh grid was tested for use in valve-regulated lead-acid (VRLA) batteries. Plates made with these new grids show a higher material utilization over a wide range of discharge rates (i.e., 20 200 mA g(-1)) and temperature (i.e., -15 - 25 degreesC) compared with conventional gravity-caste plates. The results also suggest that the lead-coated glass fibre grid can replace the conventional gravity-cast grid without causing any deleterious effects so far as the cycle life is concerned.