Government Investigates Battery Fires In Chevy Volt

The government is investigating new fires involving the lithium-ion batteries in General Motors' Chevrolet Volt to assess the fire risk in the electric car after a serious crash.

One Volt battery pack that was being closely monitored following a government crash test caught fire, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said in a statement on November 25. Another recently crash-tested battery emitted smoke and sparks, the statement said.

GM, which was informed of the investigation, said in a statement that the Volt "is safe and does not present undue risk as part of normal operation or immediately after a severe crash."

The latest fires are in addition to a battery fire in a crash-tested Volt six months ago.

NHTSA learned of a possible fire risk involving damaged Volt batteries when a fire erupted in a Volt that was being stored in a parking lot of a test facility in Burlington, WI. The fire was severe enough to cause several other vehicles parked nearby to catch fire as well.

The car had been subjected to a side-impact crash test more than three weeks earlier, on May 12, during which the battery was punctured and its coolant line ruptured.

The tests of three battery packs were designed to replicate the May test. In that test, the Volt was subjected to a simulated side-impact collision into a narrow object like a tree or pole followed by a rollover, the agency said.

The first battery tested didn’t catch fire. But a battery test on November 17 initially experienced a temporary temperature increase, and caught fire while being monitored. Another battery tested on November 18, which was rotated 180 degrees within hours after the test, began to smoke and emit sparks shortly after the rotation.

The tests were conducted by NHTSA and the Energy and Defense departments at a defense facility near Hampton Roads, VA.

So far, no fires have been reported in Volts involved in roadway crashes, NHTSA said. More than 5,000 of the vehicles have been sold.

It’s too soon to tell whether the investigation will lead to a recall of any vehicles or parts, but the government will ensure consumers are informed promptly if that occurs, the agency said.

Safety testing hasn’t raised concerns about electric vehicles other than the Volt, NHTSA said. But the agency is asking manufacturers who have electric cars on the market, or who plan to introduce electric vehicles in the near future, for more detailed information on their battery testing as well as what procedures they have established for discharging and handling batteries, including recommendations for reducing fire risks.

After the first battery fire, GM officials complained that NHTSA did not drain the battery of energy as called for under the automaker’s crash procedures. NHTSA normally drains fuel from gasoline-powered cars after crash tests, they said.

GM, taking steps to head off a potential backlash against the Volt, offered free loaner vehicles to buyers of the plug-in hybrid while it works with U.S. regulators.

"GM and Chevrolet believe in the safety of the Volt," Mark Reuss, President of North American operations, said on a conference call with reporters on November 28. "We will take every precaution to ensure the driving public of the safety of the Volt." GM is sending a letter to all Volt owners and dealers. If any owners have concerns, GM will give them another car as a loaner to drive until the probe has been resolved, Reuss said.

The Detroit-based automaker has engineers working with NHTSA to establish the cause of the fires and no conclusions have been reached, Mary Barra, Senior Vice President of Global Product Development, said on the call.

GM needs to protect the Volt and show that it’s safe, said Jeremy Anwyl, Chief Executive Officer of Edmunds.com, an auto research website based in Santa Monica, CA. The investigation may cause some car buyers to question the safety of the Volt and electric vehicles such as Nissan Motor Co.’s Leaf, Anwyl said in a telephone interview. "It’s not good news for GM," he said. "It raises uncomfortable questions about EVs in general. People tend to paint things with a broad brush."

The best outcome for GM, Anwyl said, would be that NHTSA finds a minor problem with an easy fix that prompts the company to make a small, precautionary recall. If there are more fires, or if a motorist is injured, then the Volt will have much more serious marketing problems, he said. The company is using the Volt, which costs about $40,000, heavily in Chevrolet advertising, promoting it as a breakthrough technology.

Lithium-ion batteries, which are rechargeable, have been the subject of several recalls of consumer electronics. Millions of laptop batteries made by Sony Corp. for Apple Inc., Dell Inc., Lenovo Group Ltd., and other PC makers were recalled in 2006 and 2007 after it was discovered that they could overheat and ignite. GM and NHTSA have pointed out that cars with gasoline-powered engines are susceptible to fires after a crash.

In the event of a crash, NHTSA’s advice to consumers is to do the same thing they would do in a gasoline-powered car — get out of the vehicle and move a safe distance away. The agency also recommends against storing a severely damaged electric car in a garage or near other vehicles.

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