Lithium-ion battery

A lithium-ion battery or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery that uses the reversible intercalation of Li+ ions into electronically conducting solids to store energy. There are many different varieties, which are usually categorized by the materials used in the cathode. Compared to other types of rechargeable batteries, they generally have higher specific energy, energy density, and energy efficiency and a longer cycle life and calendar life.

In the three decades since Li-ion batteries were first sold in 1991, their volumetric energy density increased threefold while their cost dropped tenfold.
In late 2024, global demand passed 1 terawatt-hour per year, while production capacity was more than twice that.

Back to Battery Basics →

Source: Wikipedia · Image: Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0