Not necessarily new news for us here on the forum, but an interesting read on ExtraEnergy:
In spring of 2007 something happened that was not imaginable some years ago––raw material prices of nickel, aluminum, copper, and cadmium rose significantly, resulting in a price increase of nickel-cadmium (NiCD) and nickel-metall-hydride (NiMH) batteries. Manufacturers are forced to raise prices dramatically. As a result, there are lithium batteries around at even lower price than NiMH batteries.
Nickel Batteries more expensive - ExtraEnergy.org
Presentation by Hannes Neupert
In spring of 2007 something happened that was not imaginable some years ago––raw material prices of nickel, aluminum, copper, and cadmium rose significantly, resulting in a price increase of nickel-cadmium (NiCD) and nickel-metall-hydride (NiMH) batteries. Manufacturers are forced to raise prices dramatically. As a result, there are lithium batteries around at even lower price than NiMH batteries.
Nickel Batteries more expensive - ExtraEnergy.org
Presentation by Hannes Neupert