GM Claims Volt Fire Was Because NHTSA Didn't Follow Safety Protocols

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday it's investigating fire risks in the Chevrolet Volt after a vehicle caught fire three weeks after a government crash test.

"In the coming weeks, in collaboration with the Department of Energy, NHTSA will conduct additional testing of the Volt's lithium-ion batteries and will continue to monitor these vehicles," NHTSA said in a statement.

The agency has asked all of the manufacturers who currently have electric vehicles on the market — or plan to introduce electric vehicles in the near future — to provide information on the protocols they have established for discharging and handling their lithium-ion batteries, including any recommendations for mitigating fire risks in these vehicles.

General Motors Co. spokesman Greg Martin said that if NHTSA had followed certain safety protocols for handling the Volt after a crash, the incident would have never occurred.

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Mooky - 11/11/2011 5:34:53 PM

-3 Boost

Yes, this Chevy Volt, this piece of crap, IS SHOCKING!

grenouille - 11/11/2011 5:46:13 PM

-3 Boost

Yeah the first safety protocole everyone should follow is not to buy one of these......overrated piece of crap...

Joe_Limon - 11/11/2011 9:34:12 PM

+10 Boost

... if someone sits in a Crashed Volt for three weeks... there is something wrong with them.

Steve - 11/12/2011 12:02:36 PM

+6 Boost

Based on the articles I've read, GM's claim is true (and I'm no fan of GM). Their documented process for treating a crashed volt is to drain the batteries and inspect them for damage. That was NOT done in the crash-tested volt. And if you think about it for a sec, that makes good sense, considering the car is carrying enough electrical energy onboard to move a car :-/

The investigation also reveals that the NHTSA tried to duplicate the fire two more times in Volts that were test-crashed in exactly the same way, and could not.

Fijian - 11/15/2011 8:20:30 PM

+1 Boost

The NHTSA is incompetent and it shows big time.When dealing with new technology you are supposed to follow the manufacturers guidelines. I am sure they must have followed the Leaf and Prius after crash info.