The global climate change, which is intensifying yearly, makes more countries realize that mankind needs to take effective actions as soon as possible. Eliminating carbon emissions from diesel vehicles has become the research target under the spotlight in recent decades; that is to say, electric vehicles are expected to be accessible and popularized by more people shortly. Batteries are the key component of electric vehicles. However, they are also the major impediment to the development of electric vehicles for their high production costs, safety issues, durability, long charging time and low working efficiency, making them less attractive to consumers than traditional fossil fuel-powered cars. Enhancing the performance of electrodes is the most direct and effective way toward highly efficient lithium-ion batteries. This paper will introduce the mainstream electrode materials commonly used in the lithium-ion battery industry and the possible methods of improving the properties of electrode materials through compositing and nanotechnology.