Lithium-ion batteries have become the default choice across a huge range of applications, and the reasons are mostly about weight and energy density. Their lithium and carbon electrode chemistry stores around 150 watt-hours per kilogram, ahead of nickel-metal hydride (100 Wh/kg) and well ahead of lead-acid (25 Wh/kg).
The advantages stack up from there: low maintenance, strong charge retention (roughly 5% loss a month, against 20% for NiMH), a high number of charge cycles, higher cell voltage (3.6V versus 1.2 to 1.5V for alkaline), no priming required, and a wide range of chemistries suited to specific applications.
The trade-offs are real too. Lithium-ion cells need protection circuitry, they age even when they’re not being used (typically 500 to 1,000 cycles of useful life), they carry transport restrictions, and they cost roughly 40% more to manufacture than the alternatives. It’s still a technology being refined, particularly around safety.
None of that makes lithium-ion the wrong choice. It just means the choice should be made with the trade-offs in view, not around them.
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