Chevy Volt safety problems
The Chevrolet volt generated a spark in the General Motors Company. A formal safety defect investigation was launched on 25th November 2011 by federal official. This investigation was into General Motors plug in hybrid vehicle after the crash test on many volts and their batteries caused fires. In one instance, a fire that occurred in one of the test vehicles caused fire in three other vehicles which were parked nearby.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was worried that damage to the Volt’s batteries continued in tests designed to reproduce real-world crash circumstances caused the vehicles’ catching fire. The agency said it was too early to tell whether the investigation would lead to a recall of the vehicle or any of its parts but guaranteed that if it finds any unreasonable safety risk then it will take instant action. Process would comprise informing buyers and confirming that GM communicates with Volt owners.
The Volt’s main aim was to run off its batteries for about 40 miles. When the batteries run slow, a gasoline engine kicks in and works as a generator, and operates as electric motors. This extends the range of the car to more than 300 miles.
Analysts said that the enquiry could result in increasing the buyer’s doubts about electric vehicles, which was very slow to become popular in the market because of the various reasons such as cost-effectiveness, and how far the vehicles can run before recharging.
General Motors will reopen their safety book to demonstrate that these vehicles are really safe. General Motors approved the enquiry by telling that it is not unexpected and that the company had been working with NHTSA to find the solution for this from several months. The company also said that the company Volt owners who have not been involved in an accident have nothing to worry about.
General Motors and NHTSA will look at data from the tests to find out the exact reason of the fires.
The latest tests were part of a primary investigation which started after NHTSA found a Volt it had crash-tested in May caught fire three weeks later.
For testing purpose, NHTSA exposed three Volt batteries to a crash simulation last week. They purposefully damaged the car’s battery compartment. As per the report generated by the agency, one of the batteries caught fire about a week of the test. Another battery began to smoke and emit sparks just after an hour after the impact.