Earlier this month, U.S. auto safety regulators have begun an investigation regarding the safety of batteries used to power electric vehicles after a Volt battery pack got on fire during a side-impact crash test. As a result, the auto safety authorities are looking directly at General Motors’ Chevrolet Volt vehicles. During the investigation, Volt owners will receive loaner cars from General Motors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) decided to open a probe into the safety of the battery pack on the electric car produced by General Motors. NHTSA said that after the first incident was not singular. The authority recreated the initial incident by testing three new Volt lithium-ion battery packs. In two of the tests, the batteries caught fire.
NHTSA said it was “opening a safety defect investigation of Chevy Volts, which could experience a battery-related fire following a crash”. However, the risks do not apply to owners “whose vehicles have not been in a serious crash”.
GM said that the Volt’s battery pack is safe during and immediately after any crash. However, to prevent any vehicle from causing serious accidents from catching fire later, GM sent its engineers to crash sites since July to depower the battery packs.
Jim Federico, General Motors chief engineer for electric vehicles, said: “The Volt is safe and does not present undue risk as part of normal operation or immediately after a severe crash”.
So far, GM has sold about 5,000 Chevrolet Volts. Therefore, the car maker announced its U.S. dealers and buyers that the 5,000 Volt owners can arrange for a free vehicle during NHTSA’s investigation.
GM North America chief Mark Reuss explains that the company’s offer “underlines our commitment to the vehicle and its owners”. Reuss also added that “Chevrolet and GM believe in the safety of the Volt” and insisted that consumers have no reasons to worry.
Marry Bara, GM’s senior vice president for global product development, said that they aren’t the only one focusing on the safety of electric batteries. It is an industry-wide issue and GM is working with NHTSA to solve the problems.
Federico added that the focus is now on “battery performance, handling, storage and disposal after a crash or other significant event, like a fire, to better serve first and secondary responders”.
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