Abstract: An electrical contact element for the electrical interconnection of battery cells for battery electric vehicles includes an electrically conductive base element that is able to make electrical contact with a first pole of a battery cell and one or more electrically conductive plug-on elements that project from the base element and are able to be bent in a temperature-dependent manner. The one or more plug-on elements, at a first temperature, assume a first bending position in which they are able to be plugged onto a second pole of an adjacent battery cell in order to produce an electrical plug connection. The one or more plug-on elements, at a second temperature that is higher than the first temperature, assume a second bending position in which the plug connection between the one or more plug-on elements and the second pole of the adjacent battery cell is released.