[Steely Tom]

If people knew how close to the edge (in terms of self-destruction) lithium batteries operate, they wouldn't want to be anywhere near them.

Building them into an airframe strikes me as far-fetched.

Lithium battery packs are protected by active circuitry that keeps them from self-destructing. These single-chip "smart power" devices track charge state, keeping it within proper bounds, and also monitor the temperature of the battery.

Some lithium batteries can be put into a dangerous situation by excessive discharge. No, they don't explode by being drained, but they can become dangerous on subsequent charge cycles once they have been deep-discharged.

[Western Phil]

Lithium battery packs are protected by active circuitry that keeps them from self-destructing.

Some Chinese manufacturers were rumored to skimp on protective circuitry which may be one of the reasons lithium battery packs have been rumored to catch fire. Who is the manufacturer of the Boeing battery packs?