— Heavy (battery pack weighs 1,000 pounds or more)

— Bulky

— Limited capacity (holds 12-15 kilowatt-hours of electricity, giving car a 50-mile range)

— Slow to charge (four to 10 hours for full charge)

— Short life (three to four years)

— Expensive (about $2,000 per battery pack)

Source: howstuffworks.com

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Lithium-ion battery advantages/disavantages

Advantages

— Lighter than other types of rechargeable batteries of same size

— High energy density (150 watt-hours of electricity in 1 kilogram of battery)

— Holds its charge better than other battery types

— Does not need complete discharge before it is recharged

— Can handle hundreds of charge/discharge cycles