Yesterday we told you how the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) had opened a formal safety defect investigation to assess the risk of a battery related fire in the Chevrolet Volt (see article). Now, General Motors has moved to reassure customers about the vehicle’s safety.
At the time that the fires took place, Mary Barra, the GM vice president of global product development, commented that the carmaker had yet to implement a battery depowering procedure in the wake of a severe crash. However, it has subsequently developed a process to depower the Volt battery, which it has been using since July.
The depowering process starts when GM is informed of a Volt crash through OnStar. It then assesses the location of the vehicle and dispatches GM employees to the Volt – the team then hooks up a unit and drains the battery.
Now Barra has commented that although the engineering investigation into the precise cause of the fire was ongoing, GM believes that it is the electronics within the battery and not the chemistry of the battery.
During a conference call she stated that GM had established a senior engineering team to develop changes that will eliminate the concern of potential post-crash electrical fires. It will also work with the industry to ensure appropriate electric vehicle prototypes are in place. Notably she commented that this “isn’t just a Volt issue” and that GM is already leading a joint electric vehicle activity with the Society of Automotive Engineers and other automotive companies to address issues including the depowering of batteries.
In addition, Mark Reuss, the president of GM North America, stated that the company would take every precaution to ensure the safety of the Volt.
