With the development of new lithium-ion cell chemistries that provide comparatively safer designs with good power and energy densities, there is a large uptake of these cell types for such applications as portable electronics and battery-driven electric vehicles, and more recently their use as a power source for the starter lightning and ignition (SLI) of internal combustion engine vehicles. This review article looks at a range of factors specific to its application as a SLI battery in light of some of the technology challenges and market opportunities. The advantages of a lithium-ion SLI battery would primarily be in terms of its longer cycle-life and weight reduction when it is considered as a ‘drop-in’ replacement option for the existing lead-acid battery, which has dominated the SLI application market for the last 100 years. Aspects of safety, cost, design and testing specifications were considered in light of the emerging European battery legislations on the use of restrictive materials in vehicles. A brief overview of the life-cycle analysis and the increased demand for the recycling of lithium-ion batteries was done and its implications for both types of SLI batteries being able to be recycled effectively and be part of a circular economic product.