A series of modifications have been announced for the Chevrolet Volt, in order to improve safety.
General Motors announced today that it is making enhancements to the vehicle structure and to the battery coolant system in the Chevrolet Volt, to protect owners from the possible risk of electrical fire caused by the battery, days or even weeks after a serious collision.
In May last year a vehicle crash test resulted in an electrical fire three weeks later. Following this result further tests replicated the phenomenon, with another battery causing a fire 6 weeks after a collision. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in America then performed a Preliminary Evaluation to examine the safety of the Volt's battery after a severe crash.
Following the results of these tests a series of changes were made, including strengthening the safety structure around the battery, the addition of a sensor in the reservoir of the battery coolant system to monitor coolant levels, and a tamper-resistant bracket on the top of the battery coolant reservoir.
A series of crash tests have been performed by GM with the new enhancements, and positive results show that the problem has now been dealt with. Volt owners will be notified individually to bring their vehicles in for the modifications to be made. It is worth noting that despite Volt owners racking up a total of 20 million miles in their vehicles this problem of post-crash electrical fires has never occurred outside of testing facilities, so there is no need to panic or to stop driving while you wait for the modifications if you are a Volt owner. The Chevrolet Volt is still rated as one of the safest cars on the market, with a top 5 star rating from Euro NCAP, the main crash testing body in Europe.
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