Traditional lithium-ion batteries continue to improve, but they have limitations that persist and this is in part because of their structure. A lithium-ion battery consists of two electrodes — one positive and one negative — sandwiched around an organic (carbon-containing) liquid electrolyte. As the battery is charged and discharged, electrically charged particles (or ions) of lithium pass from one electrode to the other through the liquid electrolyte.
One problem with this design is that at certain voltages and temperatures, the liquid electrolyte can become volatile and catch fire; and another is that lithium-ion batteries are not well-suited (in their current form factor) for use in electric vehicles (EV).
