As for what happened to the NiMH batteries...well,
it's a long story, but essentially GM bought the patents for NiMH, then later sold them to Texaco (which was then bought by Chevron). Chevron licenses the NiMH patents to companies making batteries for electronics and such, but if an auto manufacturer wants to try them out in a suitable large format, they have to first commit to buying them in large quantities. So they can't be used by individuals or small companies, or even tested by large automakers unless they agree to buy them in large quantities without being able to test them first. So, no surprise - nobody ever licensed them.