It turns out the voltage written on a battery is not so much a rating, more of a convenient description. Very few batteries actually operate at the voltage they are labeled with.
For instance a "1.5 V" alkaline cell when fresh out of the packet has a voltage of about 1.6 V, yet as soon as you start using it the voltage will drop rapidly below 1.5 V and spend most of its time in the 1.1 to 1.4 V range.
Similarly a "12 V" car battery or other lead acid accumulator has a voltage of about 13.8 V when charged. If the voltage ever gets as low as 12 V the battery will be subject to damage.