NHTSA Closes Investigation Into Chevy Volt Fires
General Motors got a boost on Friday when the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration announced it was closing its investigation into a potential fire risk in the company's Chevrolet Volt electric cars. The agency noted that Chevy Volts and other electric vehicles do not present any more danger of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles.
Questions about the safety of Chevy Volts surfaced last year when several vehicles caught fire between one to two weeks following government-conducted side impact crash tests. The fires were sparked following a procedure in which the vehicle is slowly rotated after a crash, causing battery coolant to come into contact with circuit boards. The batteries were still charged at the time. When the probe was launched, GM announced it was voluntarily making some changes to the Volt to reduce the fire risk.
To date, GM has sold about 8,000 Volts. As part of the changes the company initiated after the investigation began, dealers will add a metal framework around the battery in an attempt to more evenly distribute the force of impacts. Those repairs will begin in February, the company said. GM has not referred to the action as a "recall," calling it a "customer satisfaction campaign," aimed at giving peace of mind to Volt owners.
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