TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ELECTRICAL POWER AND ENERGY - Preferred Components: The secondary lithium ion battery has: a room temperature DC resistance that does not change by more than a factor of 5, preferably 4 between the lowest value and the largest value over a range of state of charge of 10-90% with a full charge voltage of 4.35V; a room temperature areas specific DC resistance of less than 75 ohms-cm2 at 20% SOC based on a full charge to 4.35 V; an energy density of at least 180 Wh/kg at a rate of C/3 from 4.35 V to 2 V at room temperature; a room temperature discharge specific energy of at least 160 Wh/kg at a discharge rate of C/3 from 4.35V to 2V; and a discharge capacity of at least 5 Ah discharged at a rate of C/10 from 4.5 V to 1.5 V. The lithium ion secondary battery comprises current collectors respectively associated with the positive electrode and the negative electrode, a pouch cell enclosure enclosing the electrodes, electrolyte and separator with electrically conductive tabs extending from the enclosure with respective electrical connections with the current collectors, and a non-active inorganic coating, and has a total of at least 5 positive electrode structures and at least one negative electrode structures for each positive electrode structure. The positive electrode comprises a high specific capacity lithium rich metal oxide. The negative electrode comprises graphitic carbon. The electrolyte comprising lithium ions dissolved in a nonaqueous solvent. The battery capacity decreases by less than 20%, preferably less than 15% from the 5th cycle to the 1000th cycle from 4.24 V to 2.73 V at a rate of C/3 when cycled at room temperature. The average voltage of the battery decreases by less than 8% from the 5th cycle to the 1000th cycle from 4.24 V to 2.73 V at a rate of C/3 when cycled at room temperature. A room temperature DC resistance is less than 4 milli-ohms at 20% SOC based on a full charge to 4.35 V. Each positive electrode structure and negative electrode structure comprises a metal current collector. Each positive electrode has an active material density of 2-4 g/ml and a total thickness of 45-200 microns. The negative electrodes stacked between the positive electrodes have an active material density of 1.25-2 g/ml and a total thickness of 25-200 microns.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The coating comprises a metal halide or a metal oxide.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The electrolyte comprises ethylene carbonate, dimethyl carbonate and methyl ethyl carbonate.