But despite the battery pack's prominence and importance in hybrid vehicles, sometimes they get a bad rap. Skeptics of hybrid technology point to several shortcomings associated with these car batteries. For example, they don't provide enough power, and therefore hybrid cars are slow; the batteries are too heavy, which counteracts a hybrid's supposed fuel economy; the materials many batteries are made from, like lead, are harmful for the environment and go against the familiar "green" claim.
The good news is this hasn't deterred battery manufacturers from trying to make their product better. On the contrary, there happen to be many ways that battery packs are undergoing improvement. In no particular order, here are five ways that hybrid battery packs are being improved.