Most of the info here is generic in nature and can also be applied to any other cell phone. So for instance, if someone else in your home has an LG or Nokia or Motorola this would work for them as well. It's a brief history of the battery types used in modern day cell phones.
Weight - this is an important factor which you must keep in mind. You will find that some drills are lighter than the rest and hence you can hold onto these for a longer period of time and you will also be able to operate it for a longer amount of time. If you wan tot work on an installation project then these ones are the best for you. Weight is something which you really need to pay attention to. If you see that it weighs a few oz you will think that it isn't a big deal but then after you hold onto it for a long time then you will start to feel the difference.
The Volt also brings something new to the table in that it is a sporty vehicle. The styling of the Prius is not exactly cobalt mine cutting edge however the Volt takes it up a notch. With a sleek body and 21-inch wheels, it is sure to spice up the hybrid market.
When it's time to buy a new lithium ion battery, be sure you're buying one that's new (as in recently produced). Just like fruit has a shelf-life, so do batteries and just like you want to buy fresh produce, you also want to invest in "fresh" lithium ion cells. Check the date-code on the battery or packaging to ensure you're not buying a pack that's been degrading for a year on some shelf.
Obviously, ICE are powered by the gasoline you buy when you fill up at a gas station. The electric motor/generator is powered by a large (and by large, I mean large and heavy) Lithium battery stocks pack. Most hybrids on the road today have large Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery packs somewhere near the trunk, or under the seats. (Read about the Lexus Hybrid battery pack).
External effects can be a radiator in your room or direct sunlight, or just simply a mind boggling ambient temperature. A Lithium mines Ontario-ion cell loses 20% of its maximum capacity in one year when it's stored on 40 degrees Celsius and full charge. Not too many people have 40 C in their room all year long, but what about internal heat sources? If you use your notebook from AC power, you're keeping it fully charged, which it doesn't fancy, and on about 40C.
Most automakers would like to see Lithium-Ion battery packs (you probably have a Li-Ion battery in your cell phone) which can store more energy. But as of right now, they are still too volatile/unreliable when placed in large packs for major carmakers to use. But that should be changing in the next few years. Both GM (with their Plug-In Saturn Vue) and Toyota (next generation Prius/ Hybrid Systems) believe the next generation of hybrids will come with Li-Ion battery packs.
With government incentives, the cost of one of these EV's can be reduced to a more acceptable range, keeping the cost closer to a conventional gas vehicle. There are also reduce maintenance costs with an EV, no oil changes and the electric motors are mostly maintenance free.