NHTSA dampens down Volt fire saga

Holden's range-extended EV has been given the all-clear by the peak safety body in the US
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Holden has today issued a statement concerning the decision by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to close its investigation of the Chevrolet Volt.

The investigation arose out of a fire in a Volt that had been left in a yard for as much as three weeks after being subjected to crash testing by NHTSA. Widely reported in the US, the incident led to the car company arguing that the NHTSA employees tasked with testing the Volt had not disconnected the large, T-shaped lithium-ion battery, in accordance with GM's own safety requirements for any example of the Volt involved in a serious crash.

Despite that, GM has voluntarily introduced improved safety measures to ensure another such incident won't occur. The engineering changes proposed by GM were presumably aimed at appeasing the NHTSA and encouraging closure of the investigation launched following the Volt going up in flames. For its part, the NHTSA may welcome any opportunity to put this sort of controversy behind it with what should be seen in the media and the community as a positive outcome.

In recent times the safety authority has been criticised for its lack of action over a number of years, in relation to Toyota's recall issues — although the instances of 'Unintended Acceleration' that led to Toyota's massive multi-million car recalls are now believed to be more likely the result of human error.

Holden has been on the front foot with this issue, since the company plans to sell the Volt in Australia badged as a Holden. Managing Director Mike Devereux offered his view during a preview of the Volt in Sydney last month — and Devereux didn't hold back.

"Yes, we have had issues that the NHTSA organisation in the US has found, in terms of fires.

"In the process of getting these crash tests [carried out, NHTSA conducted] a side-impact crash test... and in that side-impact crash test the battery pack was intruded. The car sat for three weeks in a yard — and it caught fire.

"The fire extinguished itself. By 'caught fire', the battery pack actually began to combust with fluids and what not. The issue in that particular instance is that after the crash test, which was a very violent crash test, the car was not de-powered. And that's something that I think NHTSA is learning.

"But frankly, I think it speaks to the newness of electric cars in general. Protocols for what happens after an accident are going to have to be more widely known, and established all around the world. This is not really a GM or a Volt issue. It's a lithium-ion chemical reaction issue.

"NHTSA and those kinds of places all around the world are going to have to figure those protocols out. General Motors is very proactively working with NHTSA to figure out what types of protocols and modifications need to be made, but the Volt is an extremely safe vehicle."

Not only did the company release its own GM-drafted statement this morning, but also provided a link to the statement issued by the NHTSA. The GM statement is published below:


    Statement on NHTSA Closure of Volt Investigation

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s decision to close its investigation is consistent with the results of our internal testing and assessment. The engineering enhancements that General Motors announced on Jan. 5, 2012 will provide additional protection for the battery, minimizing the risk of a post-crash fire in the days and weeks after a severe crash and rollover.

    The voluntary action that GM is taking is intended to make a safe vehicle even safer. In fact, the Volt has earned top safety ratings from key third-party organizations such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which designated it a Top Safety Pick.

    GM is proud of the technological innovation the Volt represents. We appreciate the confidence our Volt customers continued to provide during the investigation. Our overriding commitment will always be to provide our customers with the best ownership experience and peace of mind in the industry and we’re focused on delivering that every day.


In its statement, the NHTSA skirts around the issue of its own employees' possible negligence, and simply welcomes GM's announced engineering changes to improve the battery's resistance to side-impact damage.


    NHTSA Statement on Conclusion of Chevy Volt Investigation

    WASHINGTON, DC — The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) released the following statement today regarding the conclusion of its safety defect investigation into the post-crash fire risk of Chevy Volts (PE11037):

    Today, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration closed its safety defect investigation into the potential risk of fire in Chevy Volts that have been involved in a serious crash. Opened on November 25, the agency’s investigation has concluded that no discernible defect trend exists and that the vehicle modifications recently developed by General Motors reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts.

    NHTSA remains unaware of any real-world crashes that have resulted in a battery-related fire involving the Chevy Volt or any other electric vehicle. NHTSA continues to believe that electric vehicles show great promise as a safe and fuel-efficient option for American drivers. However, as the reports released in conjunction with the closure of the investigation today indicate, fires following NHTSA crash tests of the vehicle and its battery components — and the innovative nature of this emerging technology — led the agency to take the unusual step of opening a safety defect investigation in the absence of data from real-world incidents.

    Based on the available data, NHTSA does not believe that Chevy Volts or other electric vehicles pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles. Generally all vehicles have some risk of fire in the event of a serious crash. However, electric vehicles have specific attributes that should be made clear to consumers, the emergency response community, and tow truck operators and storage facilities. Recognizing these considerations, NHTSA has developed interim guidance — with the assistance of the National Fire Protection Association, the Department of Energy, and others — to increase awareness and identify appropriate safety measures for these groups. The agency expects this guidance will help inform the ongoing work by NFPA, DOE, and vehicle manufacturers to educate the emergency response community, law enforcement officers, and others about electric vehicles.

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