Chevy Volt Catches Fire 3 Weeks After Crash Test

This is a very strange story and has led to a federal investigation into not only the Volt, but many other cars with lithium ion batteries. The NHTSA conducted a crash test on a Chevrolet Volt not long ago. The car passed the crash test and was placed in a parking lot after wards where it sat with no issue for three weeks.

After sitting for three weeks, the Volt unexpectedly caught fire and the blaze was large enough to damage other cars sitting nearby. The NHTSA investigation is looking at all automakers using lithium ion batteries including GM, Nissan, and Ford. The fact that the car caught fire weeks after the accident raises some serious safety implications.

If the car had been in an owner's possession or had people inside when it caught fire it could have been very tragic. Another Volt has reportedly caught fire while charging and is being investigated as well. So far, no new facts have been offered in the investigation. If the battery packs are found to have a flaw, a recall could do some serious harm to GMs bottom line.

Updates

French EVs account for 0.2 percent of new car sales

Source: AutoblogGreen

Nissan and General Motors would've been clicking their heels if electric vehicles accounted for one in 500 new cars last year. But in the homeland of big EV builder Renault , not so much. EV sales in France have accounted ...
Full article at: AutoblogGreen  More like this  7 hours ago, 4:31pm CDT

Electric car owners saving on insurance

Source: Omaha.com

DETROIT — Early adopters of electric vehicles have to dig deep into their wallets to make the purchase, but some are reaping unexpected savings on their insurance bills. Insurance premiums vary widely based on driving ...
Full article at: Omaha.com  More like this  1 day ago, 12:12am CDT

Pro/con: Should Congress pull the plug on electric car subsidies?

Source: Duluth News Tribune

It’s tempting to call the shameful taxpayer subsidy for electric cars — vehicles that are unaffordable for all but a small number of wealthy Americans — this nation’s costly little secret. But it’s no secret, and t ...
Full article at: Duluth News Tribune  More like this  1 day ago, 12:10am CDT

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