Yesterday, General Motors Vice-Chairman Bob Lutz announced that GM has reached a deal with battery manufacturer A123 Systems to produce nano phosphate cells for their upcoming "Volt" hybrid electric car. This is the same lithium ion battery technology DeWalt uses in it's current line of 36v cordless tools and their upcoming 18v and 24v systems.

The 160hp Chevy Volt will be released in 2010 at a target price of $30,000 and may revolutionize the concept of hybrid cars.

If A123's nano phosphate cells are powerful enough to be used in a car, their use in power tools is extraordinary. Over the past few decades, advances in battery technology have yielded smaller, lighter, and more powerful batteries than ever, enabling the devices using those batteries to also become the same. 

 While other tool manufacturers have had lithium-ion tools out for a few years now, DeWalt was smart to not jump on the bandwagon too soon. Instead, they waited for it to mature before striking up an exclusive deal with A123. Nano phosphate batteries are currently one of the most evolved forms of lithium ion cells and consequently DeWalt's new line of tools will likely be their best ever. 

Additional Resources 

• Wikipedia Article about the Chevy Volt
• A123 Systems Press Release
• Toologics Article About DeWalt Nano Phosphate Batteries