Can lithium ion batteries replace NiCd?
Beside this, are NiCad and lithium ion batteries interchangeable?
Answer: It is not the same, but they are interchangeable. The PC18BL is a lithium-ion battery and the PC18B is a NiCad battery. They use the same chargers and will work on the same tools.
Similarly, you may ask, can lithium batteries be charged in a NiCad charger?
NiCad and NiMH batteries are amongst the hardest batteries to charge. Whereas with lithium ion and lead acid batteries you can control overcharge by just setting a maximum charge voltage, the nickel based batteries don't have a "float charge" voltage. So the charging is based on forcing current through the battery.
Typically, Lithium-ion batteries are smaller and lighter than a NiCad battery. Lithium-ion also two to three times more expensive than NiCad. On the other hand, Lithium-ion has virtually no self-discharge. This allows a lithium ion battery to be stored for months without losing charge.