Obviously ICE are powered by cobalt mine 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) battery 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).
Power cords - Again, in my opinion, they are poor quality and might damage your electronics. Duct tape sand paper painter's tape lithium facts and bungee cords are good though.
OLithium Ion (Li-Ion) - This was the latest battery technology before lithium polymer. They have a higher power density than NiMh and NiCd batteries. Li-Ion batteries generally come standard with most phones. For most people, this battery technology represents the best combination of size, capacity, and value. These types of batteries don't suffer from the poor memory effect and can be recharged anytime.
No. There will almost certainly be many people who have to go without a lithium bettery stock PS for Christmas despite being willing to pay the very high price Sony is asking. But, that's nothing new. Other consoles (including the Xbox 360) have been launched without an adequate number of units immediately available for sale.
You have more power to perform work better and faster such as drilling and screwing than the smaller model. Once I used the 18v model I found that I prefer to use it more often because it gives me more power to complete the same task with less effort. At the end of the day it is better and faster, productivity counts.
The more diligent you are at taking care of your gear now, the more time you'll have later for a problem free first fishing trip of the season. Some of the local lakes will be ice free by the 1st of April and I expect to see the usual aluminum hatch at the likes of Jacko, Six Mile and White Lake in the Kamloops Area as soon as they can be navigated.