GM to Chevy Volt Owners: Free Loaner Vehicle
Today, General Motors is offering free cars on loan to Chevrolet Volt owners if they are worried about their Chevy Volt's catching fire. The reasons for concern is the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration’s investigation of the Chevy Volt's lithium-ion batteries catching fire.
GM says that it will contact owners and inform them that the cars are safe. However, GM is making the offer to ensure that Volt owners don't lose confidence in their cars.
NHTSA is investigating a Volt battery pack that was crash-tested and caught fire on Thursday. Apparently, NHTSA says that another battery was recently crash-tested and gave off smoke and sparks. These new fires are in addition to a battery fire in a crash-tested Chevy Volt that occurred six months ago.
NHTSA offers some useful advice for current owners of electric cars:
1. Exit the vehicle carefully if possible just as in a gasoline-powered car, which of course also poses fire danger in a crash.
2. Emergency responders should take not if a vehicle is electric and disconnect the battery pack if possible.
3. Tow-truck operators and salvage yards should store damaged electrics outside, not inside a closed building.
All the fires in the NHTSA tests, flamed up weeks after the initial damage.
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