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A Chevrolet Volt is shown at a GM plant in Flint, Mich., last year. GM says a battery fire in a test vehicle could have been prevented.
The spotlight is on the Chevrolet Volt following word that one of the plug-in hybrids caught fire while being tested by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. But TheDetroitBureau.com has learned that the fire was readily preventable had a few simple steps been taken after a Volt was put through a series of tests three weeks earlier.
Federal regulators have promised a full investigation of the spring incident in which the Volt caught fire and burned several nearby vehicles. That has raised serious questions about the safety of its batteries, though GM officials say it may instead require adapting federal crash tests -– as well as what happens in the field in the event of a real collision.
The fire occurred at a private facility in Wisconsin where NHTSA conducts crash tests on new vehicles. On May 12, the battery car was subject to a so-called “pole” test, where it was rammed into a barrier at 20 mph to simulate a side impact. The vehicle was then subject to what is known informally as the “rotisserie test,” where it is rolled over into various positions to test for leaks that might have occurred during the crash.
Ironically, the Volt did well enough to earn a five-star rating, the best possible.
The wrecked vehicle was subsequently moved to what GM spokesman Rob Peterson called “the boneyard,” where it was left unattended, no action taken to deal with either the vehicle’s charged lithium-ion battery or the coolant fluid that had, in fact, leaked out after the crash test. The gas tank used to power Volt’s back-up gas engine was drained.
Preliminary evidence indicates that over time the normally inert coolant came into contact with some of the LIon battery cells. In liquid form that would not be a problem, but it eventually “crystallized” as the Wisconsin weather turned cold at night, according to Peterson. That eventually led to the battery shorting out and catching fire, apparently, though a formal cause has not been announced by safety regulators.
So, was the fire the cause of negligence by NHTSA? Maybe yes, maybe no, according to the GM spokesman.
“NHTSA didn’t follow our protocol,” which would have required the agency to “de-energize the battery after the crash test," Peterson said. But, Peterson quickly added that it appears NHTSA employees “didn’t know our protocol,” which was developed after GM conducted its own crash tests.
The federal agency has since been advised what to do when crashing a battery car, which apparently would include other electric vehicles besides the Chevrolet Volt, particularly those using liquid cooling systems. (The Nissan Leaf uses an air cooling system, though it is unclear whether the maker will also be recommending that the battery be de-energized after an accident.)
“I want to make this very clear: the Volt is a safe car,” Jim Federico, the chief engineer on GM’s small and battery-powered vehicles, said in a statement. “We are working cooperatively with NHTSA as it completes its investigation. However, NHTSA has stated that based on available data, there’s no greater risk of fire with a Volt than a traditional gas-powered car.”
Repeated efforts to reach an NHTSA spokesperson failed as the federal government was closed on Friday for Veterans Day.
With electric propulsion capturing a disproportionate share of the headlines lately – at least compared to the minuscule market for battery-based vehicles, which will this year account for barely a 3 percent share of the U.S. market – world of the Chevy Volt fire has generated widespread headlines.
GM officials are worried that the incident could scuttle demand for the vehicle, which is just beginning to see a ramp-up in sales. And the impact could spread beyond Chevy showrooms.
The Obama administration is looking to put 1 million battery cars on the road by 2015 and virtually every major automaker now has a plug-in hybrid or battery-electric vehicle in late development.
Lithium technology is already in widespread use. And there have already been serious concerns raised about the use of lithium-ion technology, which has been linked to a number of fires involving laptop computers, mobile phones and other portable electronic devices. That has led to restrictions on carrying or shipping the batteries on airplanes, for examples.
But automakers like GM have insisted they are using safer versions of the LIon chemistry than is often used in consumer goods, where it is critical to maximize energy density – or stored power.
While NHTSA may eventually give the Volt a clean bill of health, the Chevy plug-in was previously involved in an unexplained garage fire – though preliminary testing indicated the vehicle was not the cause of the problem.
Looking ahead, GM spokesman Peterson said GM plans to spread the word on the proper procedures for handling a Volt after a collision. It is currently sending a corporate “SWAT team” out to any such incidents to try to learn as much as possible about what happens and how to respond.
The maker has been training first responders around the U.S. and one of the first steps involves disconnecting the battery.
By early next year, said Peterson, the maker expects to distribute a special device specifically designed to de-energize the battery after a collision.
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First Look: Buick LaCrosse GL Concept
Leave a Comment:
The Oil Companies have established $$$, that gasoline is far safer, and less flammable than batteries?
You are correct. The Big Three and gasoline have been in bed together since the 1940's, at least. For those of whom aren't familiar with it--Before the 1950's, Los Angeles had a world-renowned, second to none, public transportation system. The Big Three, oil co's, and government conspired to dismantle that system and then, turn L.A. into an automobile town. Everyone involved made huge $'s, and continue to reap the rewards, while locals choked on a pall of smog that poisoned the air, and continues to poison. Today, L.A. spends billions to try to re-establish the lost public transport system, but too little, too late.
Of course, the oil companies want to keep you chained to oil/gasoline for as long as they can.
The original article was a hack job. I'm glad that clarification is being issued.
Now I wonder why the NHTSA is making such a big fuss about this when even they have said that Volts pose no more risk of fire than a full combustion cars.
How much has this whole "controversy" cost Big Oil to push this anti-Volt propaganda?
Important News Bulletin!
This just in: crashed cars sometimes catch on fire. Apparently, caustic compounds used to produce momentum for the vehicle turn out to be flammable. Who knew?
Next: Tornadoes make the wind blow hard. God's wrath? Stay tuned...
What else would you expect from GOVERNMENT Motors.
I'm surprised they didn't say it was Bush's fault... or maybe that will be phase two.
The "government motors" is really a tired comment. GM is an American company and hybrid and electric vehicles fill a niche that many Americans want. Instead of a cynical "hope it fails" attitude, why not hope that the product succeeds and provides some jobs?
Wow,
Never heard such condemnation of the Prius? But, I never heard claims that would never be realized. What happened to the 100 miles on a charge? The Volt is a complete disgrace. I would rather we put the money into something positive and forward thinking like the Tesla. We should have let GM fail and the Bond Holders eat it for supporting a failure. This is not about Oil Companies, it's about Market Conditions. If the Market didn't embrace what is ahead in a none combustion power plant for the automobile, we wouldn't have companies developing them. Even GM holds some claim to the evolution via the EVO? Correct me if I am wrong on the name. But, the recent effort of the Volt is a complete disgrace for America. Again, nothing here is about the Oil Companies. It's simply a crappy car.The Electric Car will hold a strong position in our future.
Brad-2092941
Cynical "hope it fails" is not the attitude. The attitude is that WE the tax payer are FED-UP with picking up the tab for failed government projects like the Volt.
The Volt is a piece of crap, but it is cute. The whole Volt's being is a government contract to buy (you fill in the blank) ______million of these junkers to help bailout GM (Government Motors). Nissan already has an electric car that pales the Volt and even pokes fun at it in one of their commercials.
Hell, if the Safety people can't get the protocol correct, do think the ignorant consumer can? What few pennies one saves on using the electric, they will have to pay on insurance premiums (but that will create another storyline) BIG INSURANCE DISTROYS THE ELECTRIC CAR MARKET.
Definately some GOp/TP hate mongering in these posts. Why is it that non of you righties can give credit to companies TRYing to innovate. Designing new technologies is a tough job, I believe credit is due, NOT criticism.
G
CT
I will put credit where credit is due when GM can design a successful new product on their own, at their expense (not ours). Technology is a tough job, but it is GM that will reap the benefits of success and right now it is us the taxpayer that have paid for their failures. CREDIT REJECTED.
Does the "G" stand for government?
It could still catch fire the prius is just a car and all cars are unsafe in the right conditions.
What happens when the battery goes bad? The replacement battery is not available, so says a friend that owns a Prius with a used up battery.
Their are battery's available the dealer may or may not have them but they can order them. You can also buy refurbished battery's. Toyota has a $200 core on the batter so they can take it to be recycled instead of winding up in a ditch. the battery's last 10+ years. some may fail early that is why the battery warranty is so long.
"Federal testers may have caused Chevy Volt fire, GM says"
really?...of course GM says that...wouldn't want to cast a light on the scam
"NHTSA didn't follow our protocol," which would have required the agency to "de-energize the battery after the crash test,"
hahaha...if you own one of these piles of steaming (insert expletive here _________________) . you better make sure thet you de-energize the battery after that tractor-trailer runs you over...or it might not be safe
Right because everyone after having a major crash is going to go tooling around under the hood to see exactly what damage was done instead of calling a tow truck.
Hilarious how you think the government safety testers are somehow more competent than the people who designed the car. bwuhahahahahahahahaha
Your statement makes no sense only to say you are a G.M. hater. Fire depts have been trained to de-energize electric cars, involved in accidents, in the past few years. Harry, I understand where the Blank comes from in your name.
Not a very good situation for the owners of those pieces of Volt Crap. I want to see what Bubba the wrecker driver does when he picks one of these heaps of crap up after an accident???? Ha, what GM is telling me is that the Volt thing is as dangerous as a bomb and needs a Haz-Mat Team for removal! Nice car, eh!
Get rid of it already. It is junk, from day one.
I've never seen someone who owns a volt call it a piece of crap. Beats paying 4 dollars to go fifteen miles.
Why is it that so many Americans are such haters of American products? I noticed a similar situation arose in the UK as the sun set on the British Empire and the UK became somewhat of a has-been nation. Over the past 10 years, the same thing has happened to Americans. We've become a nation of self-loathing cynics. It's hard to see the US ever becoming a great nation once more when you see how much negativity exists in the minds of so many Americans.
GCV
you and I (if you pay taxes) gave hundreds of millions to S. Korea to make those batteries...not quite "American made"
nice retort Rich...I think?
I understand your need to break the COH with a personal attack.....you have had the name "Rich" all your life and never will be "Rich"...interesting
The oil companies will do anything to discredit battery powered cars. This whole story is an example, as long as they can pay some writer to hype up this crash test screw up the better it is for them. With the oil companies profit comes first and the truth is a far, far distant second.
They drained the fuel tank but didn't discharge the batteries and they're surprised when a fire occurs? They drain the main fuel tank for a reason: To prevent fires. The same logic applies to the other fuel source a Volt carries, which is its batteries.
GCV: Thanks for actually saying it. It's become fashionable in some circles to hate the USA and wish it failure. That usually involves ignoring or fabricating information, as in this case. The America-haters would have you believe the car was crash tested and promptly burst into flames. Only by reading the story can one tell that the fire resulted from specific and unusual conditions that developed long after the crash.
I wouldn't place too much emphasis on anything Harry Blank says. A quick look thru his posting history shows the majority of his comments involve lots of "hahahahahaha"'s and not so witty insults. I actually don't think I saw an intelligent comment at all.
harry bank, not half a hypocrite, are you?
funny how it is "conservative" "americans" that love to attack examples of American ingenuity, and are fully determined to shove the US down into third-world status by promoting pollution, backwards technologies, religious fundamentalism, money worship, and doing everything they can to eliminate education of anyone except the "deserving" wealthy.
Readers and posters are getting much smarter and more intelligent. No more media spin and fool. Readers are more comfortable with the truth and understandable. Do not tell lies or cover up.
Let me guess... all the morons who bad-mouth & call GM vehicles names are all driving some piece of flotsam & jetsam rice burner and raving about how great it is NOT to buy or drive American... real patriotic! In a lot of ways, American vehicles are far superior to to a so9me of the foreign junk on the market.
@danny
don't see where I posted any of that nonsense...have we a guilty conscience?...interesting
Drive a Jeep. Now there's an American vehicle worth driving.
Harry, the negative attitudes toward your comments are indeed biased. They come from the same people that espouse the living wage argument when in fact they know there is not such a thing.
Why do people not buy American? It certainly isn't because we hate America, it is mostly, because we can't afford what America produces. The products that have any quality to them are over priced and those that are affordable have cheap foreign made parts or are haphazardly thrown together to cut labor cost.
Last week I ordered some parts for my sons car (parts house didn't have any on hand). I ordered the US parts because the brand was a trusted name I have used in the past. My parts arrived on Friday (next day), I planned on doing the work on Saturday. Saturday morning I disassembled the repair area and went to replace the old part with the new and to my surprise the new part was not properly assembled and there were no machine shops open that could press the bushings completely in, the best the parts house could do was order another which would not arrive until Monday or Tuesday. I found another in stock at one of the chain parts houses 60 miles away, it was foreign made, less than half the price and obviously better quality. Do you think I bought it? Damn right! Good thing I didn't have to rely on an electric car to get there and back, I would have had to spend the night.
Speaking of good ole Yankee ingenuity, what ever happened to the hydrogen fuel cell scam that the the government was throwing $$$ at under Bush?
No, our negative attitude to his comments comes from the sheer idiocy of them. Some people post simply to be sarcastic and try to be witty.
fed up: You obviously only listen to the spin on electric cars so don't pretend you've been following the tech on that. Also, eletric is easier and cheaper to implement a system for than hydrogen cells.
ThatGuyWhoIsGoingThere
I believe I know a little more than just the spin since I worked in the area for a little more than 4 years. The technology is coming along but has a long way to go, yet. I like the idea of electric cars but to be practical the range has to be significantly improved.
The Hydrogen cell was just a comment on typical waste. Science has been trying to perfect H-cells for years.
A man I worked with designed & built his own E-car from an old Karman-Ghia it did pretty darn well he got about 30 miles round trip but he was screwed if there was any adverse traffic conditions, he didn't have a gas back-up, he dumped it for the weight.
Intentionally crashing a car? Shouldn't that be called a Pole test?
Apparently you aren't aware of the federally mandated testing that goes on with all over the road vehicles.
Maybe they should be Charged with Assaulting a Battery.
That WAS worth a good laugh.
:)
G
BA-DUM-TSH
Maybe they stole it, because that is one "Hot" car.
I am so dam tired of the Feds no doing the common sense things necessary to prevent issues. If a Gasoline vehicle rolls over the battery and gas tank are disconnected. The Feds just want to screw the companies. My God three weeks later. The Feds need to get off this. How to ruin an American car! The same would apply to Ford or Chrysler! Get the Feds the hell out of this job crushing business.
This is what is wrong with America. If the press focused on what is wrong with America and how we could go about fixing the country, we would all be in a better place. Instead the press seek out controversy and, even when it does not exist, they try and exaggerate the situation to be controversial. This is shoddy lazy reporting.
If you read the article, it states that the gas tank was drained. This is normal protocol for a car that has been subjected to a crash test apparently. Why? To eliminate any potential for a fire is why. So why didn't they drain the battery? Because they haven't adapted to new technology and were applying the wrong protocol to a new situation. Just as a gas tank has the potential for a fire, so too does a large battery in an electric car. In both cases, the item should be drained.
So this is not news. The only reason to report it is to create controversy, cast GM in a bad light, and maybe damage Volt sales. This is the sort of rubbish reporting that belongs in a tabloid. It should not come from a respected news source.
The other @!$%#s writing about this are paid by the foreign companies to act as though they know something
OK.. so as long as after the crash where liquid is sure to be expelled in some cases... it doesn't become cold.... and it is discharged "properly" by the $60/day storage lot wrecker driver.... it will be OK.... Perfect.
But what if some liquid contacts it in the course of daily use? Is it going to short out if it gets cold? What are the protocols for storage, towing, EMT rescue etc?
And how do the batteries get disposed of and what leaks out of them while sitting in the wrecker yard? Is it worse or not as bad as the coolant, acids, diesel, gas, oil etc coming from the internal combustion engines?
Discharging a battery really isn't hard. It's no more difficult technically than draining the fuel tank, and is a necessary step to render a crashed vehicle safe for storage.
You'd disconnect the main battery on a crashed vehicle, along with draining the gas and other combustible fluids. This is just another thing like that, which these testers did not do.
1. What was the excuse the manufactures were using when the cell phones were exploding and killing people???
Oh yea - it is not our batteries, it is the after-market Li-ion batteries...
2. What was the excuse that the computer companies were using when their Li-ion batteries were causing fires???
Again it is the battery manufactures problem, not the computer...
3. What was the excuse when the only Li-ion recycler in the America's was having explosions and fires???
Sounds familiar - They were not using the recommended procedures for storage of Li-ion batteries...
Hey AC, guess what? You don't need any more than one question mark at the end of a sentence. (unless you are writing in Spanish in which case you need on at the front and back). Putting more than you need doesn't make your question more relevant or special.
A lot more people are killed by vending machines each year than exploding phones. I can easily name 3 other things more fatal than batteries, falling down stairs, alcohol poisoning and that other thing... EPA, or not. oops!
We all know Liberals are the only ones who buy these 'electric' death traps (maybe that is a good thing). Liberals aren't 'real' Americans anyway, they should have their citizenship stripped and instantly become illegal aliens. Then we can hire them to pick our fields and take care of our children, like we used to do for those dark skinned people who only counted for 2/3rds of a person.
But I digress. My apologies. Let's all just drive gasoline powered vehicles, because we know they never ignite. Especially hours after a crash after they have been taken away somewhere and left to leak gasoline around ignition sources.
Then again why even bother? We all know the world is going to end late next year according to the long gone Mayans. We all know that long dead people knew much more about the future than any of us silly current occupants.
So what should we do AC? Enlighten us. Don't keep us guessing. The devil is knocking at my doorstep and I need to KNOW!
W Tell,
You want to be my secutary??? I pay the same way that Bill Clinton does, a fresh cigar every week...
If you knew anything about energy sources. You would know that the USA is sitting on a 500+year supply of 'hydrated methane' located in the continental shelf...
The WORLD is converting to NG while the USA is busy chasing 'pipe dreams' and buying rare earths from China...
If you really want to know the problem with Li-ion batteries research 'lithium dendrite formation'...
Care to provide some credible citations for these allegations?
Hydrated methane ref
http://marine.usgs.gov/fact-sheets/gas-hydrates/title.html
http://www.netl.doe.gov/technologies/oil-gas/FutureSupply/MethaneHydrates/maincontent.htm
China 'rare earths' ref
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=47490
a few more FACTS about Rare Earths(RE):
1. China supplies 97% of worlds needs & currently has the ONLY commercial processing facility.
2. The USA currently produces ZERO - RE and production facilities will require years if not decades to build and receive the needed permits.
3. The Prius uses the most RE in the world about 40lb per vehicle, the Volt use over 30+lb.
4. Every 3-gigawatt wind turbine uses over 2+tonnes.
5. Obama's 'high speed trains' and solar panels also use RE, supplied by China.
NG used in world vehicles ref:
CNG is a cleaner alternative to other automobile fuels such as gasoline (petrol) and diesel. As of 2008 there were 9.6 million natural gas vehicles worldwide, led by Pakistan (2.0 million), Argentina (1.7 million), Brazil (1.6 million), Iran (1.0 million), and India (650,000).[23][24]
Qatar is currently flying their commercial jets using fuel made from NG
The USA has the largest proven NG reserves in the world...
Class is over, unless you want to research BTU per passenger mile or tonne/km. Then you may have a understanding why electric vehicles are energy hogs...
Anybody who buys Obama's stupid billion dollar piece of junk should be committed to a mental hospital.
Might I suggest you go for a mental checkup yourself.
it's GM's stupid peice of junk not Obama.s . Obama just wants electric cars ,he doesn't care who's they are. If GM can't do it maybe ford will. just as long as we stop importing foreign oil,which we have to protect with our soldiers.
who gives a rats azz what "Obama wants"...he doesn't speak for me...he has me bent over , but he doesn't speak for what I want...isn't it cool?
GM = Government Motors. US Government bailed out "GM" and owns a large stake in that company.
GM repaid all the loans used in its bailouts.
Wrong Cyclometh. Do some more research.
Sorry, Ron- you're incorrect. The loans have all been paid back, ahead of schedule, and with interest. Remember that stocks are not loans.
They still should have been allowed to sink or swim on their own merit.
If they sank, how could Obama buy their votes with your tax dollars?
So iit happened after a minor crash, and coolant leaking on the battary and freezing in the Wisconsin Fall weather.
So it couldn't possibly happen in real life because those kinds of things never happen???
Can you imagine what 95 degree heat and humidity will do to that Battery? Fires? This car would be a rolling explosive device. Maybe we could use them over in Afghanistan against the enemies, but on a public street? I think not. Chevy needs to halt production of this bomb immediately.
Not very bright. So you knuckleheads think a car filled with 20 gallons or more of gasoline, one that needs a battery to start is more safe? Come on people. Nobody see the line where it says this car earned a 5 star safety rating, the best rating there is?
tractor-trailor (or any vehicle for that matter) hits you in that little piece of shyte and none of that rhetoric will mean squat...ouch
After the crash test they picked the car up and tumbled it around to get any fluid-containing vessels that had ruptured to leak. That's not exactly a likely scenario.
They drain the fuel tanks on crashed cars, they should have drained the batteries too. Simple to do and they will in the future. Gasoline and charged batteries are just different forms of potential energy, and they left one sitting around. That was the problem.
Here's a picture of an SUV that was hit by a tractor-trailer:
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/gallery?section=news/local&id=7836678&photo=2
No matter what you drive, being hit by a tractor-trailer is not safe.
looks like you got the point...do you have a picture of an suv hitting a car that size?...I do...in front of my house...no difference
If only the same could be said for you.
hahaha...good one!
All of you screaming about how unsafe the batteries are realize that the battery must be ruptured to cause any problems right? same as an other engine part or gas tank....when ruptured, they become a safety concern. It's no different, just a different fluid leaking out of something BROKEN
If they had a protocol developed, they knew there was an issue. Then again, the fire hazards of li-on batteries has been well documented for years starting in electronic devices with defective or damaged li-on batteries.
The hilarious thing is, the cheapest, easiets solution to our nations energy problems lies in simple, clean hydrogen, which is infinitely renewable, burns clean and hey look at that, any IC engibe can be readily converted, and the reality is it poses no more safety threat than gasoline or li-on batteries. But there's no way to control the market for it without open conspiracy or it's production, therefore it does not satisfy corpprate lust for profit and manipulation.
Hydrogen is not a source of energy on this planet. It is a means of storing energy - just like a battery. Just as we don't say that electricity is renewable, we can't argue that hydrogen is renewable. And in order to switch over to hydrogen, we would need to build a vast new infrastructure which would cost a phenonemal amount of money. I've heard estimates in the trillions of dollars, and even 10's of trillions. A problem with hydrogen is, putting its obvious explosive tendencies aside, it is very difficult to store. Hydrogen isn't like storing gasoline which has largish molecules. Hydrogen atoms are very small and easily leak out of things. So creating, transporting, and storing hydrogen ends up being very expensive. When you realize the cost of hydrogen and that it still requires an energy source - such as coal, nuclear, or natural gas to produce hydrogen, the case for hydrogen quickly dissolves. Electric batteries provide almost the exact same benefit without requiring an infrastructure project we could not possibly afford.
The "protocol" is to discharge the batteries. The same protocol exists for gasoline-powered cars: Drain the fuel tank. Batteries store a lot of energy and to be safely stored after a crash, they should be drained, just like the fuel tank on a car.
@GCV, While your point of creating storing and transportation of Hydrogen is true. We also have to do that with non renewable hydrocarbons. You discount the polluting effects of Oil and Coal. The atmosphere is a common resource, not prone to staying inside countries borders.
While it might be difficult and impractical to try and switch our entire infrastructure to run on Hydrogen in the short term, the excuses you use to defame it don't hold water. You perhaps have heard of Ammonia, the second most commonly produced chemical in the world? Using a catalyst we can produce Hydrogen gas from that. Your infrastructure problem doesn't seem so tough now.
Coal, Oil and natural gas are Hydrocarbons. Made over millions of years from energy from our sun. And we are digging it up and burning it to release that stored energy. The most notable byproduct of which is carbon dioxide or CO2, a greenhouse gas that helps keep our planet warm and in higher amounts acts as a blanket to warm things ever further.
All energy consumed or stored is like your analogy to a battery. But a Hydrogen battery when burned for fuel makes water, and when recharged by a solar cell or wind or hydro-thermal, the pollution is nil. I will grant you the lazy and cheap way of using oil and coal for power is dominant, but it weakens our health, is the source of wars and is unsustainable.
I for one don't like having to eat my fish with mercury tainted from pollution left over from burning coal. I don't want to have to stop drinking my wine because the planet warms and makes the vineyards too hot to produce the grapes needed. I don't want my water shipped in by trucks running on natural gas from wells in my backyard, because the wellhead drilled by the gas company contaminated my water supply.
There are a lot of smart people trying to find alternative resources for our insatiable energy needs. There are also some rich players in the oil, gas and coal industries who want to squeeze every last dime out of their investments. On a level playing field, taking into the accounts of production and pollution we should be allowed to choose which energy source we use. But the field isn't level.
You say we can't afford to switch to Hydrogen. I say we can't afford not to and I am sick and tired of passing the buck to my grandchildren. It's time to grow up people.
"If they had a protocol developed, they knew there was an issue. Then again, the fire hazards of li-on batteries has been well documented for years starting in electronic devices with defective or damaged li-on batteries."
If they had a protocol developed, they knew there was an issue. Then again, the fire hazards of gasoline has been well documented for years starting in gasoline powered devices with defective or damaged gas tanks.
I am not a fan of electric cars, but if we are ever to become free of the big oil - islamic terrorists fossil fuel industry then we are going to have to adapt. You can't treat an electric car like a gasoline car. That should be common sense, but I wouldn't expect much of that from a bunch of bureaucrats. Ethanol is a much more viable alternative than gasoline or electricity, but because of that , the anti-ethanol crowd is spending billions to spread lies about ethanol. Like the food vs fuel crap which if you do a little research is based on lies and ignorance. Like I said , I don't like electric cars, but they have a place in our overall transportation structure.
If we were switching from electric cars to gasoline cars right now, the NHTSA people would have drained the battery and left the car to rot with a full tanks of gasoline. If any gas had leaked out, possibly igniting on a sunny day, there would be the same uproar. Surely these people would have realized that gasoline is flammable! Are these new fangled engines that rely on thousands of explosions per second in their chamber safe!
Testers caused the fire? Is Chevrolet Crazy? That's all many consumers need to hear. We may not understand the protocol but when your vehicle catches on fire, you purchased a dangerous and expensive dud. I will keep my Toyota a while longer I think.
Karol,
the "feds" didnt know how to handle it?
so how is jim bob at bobs tow supposed to know how to handle it?
cause all they do is tow it to the yard and let it sit until insurance takes care of it!
so basically the feds did exactly what happens after the accident.
apperently all the other cars they tested didnt have this explosive issue, so was this bad engineering on chevy's fault?
cause i didnt hear about the prius fire after the feds tested it!!!
just sayin!
and this was a lamebamas car.
he put alot of MY money into this crap, the 7500 tax credit and the billions in bail out!
I wonder when "alot" will become an actual word?
Just sayin'.....
Probably the day before "sayin" does.
I didn't type "sayin" , did I ?
I typed sayin (apostrophe). BIG difference, at least to those of us who DO read and understand English.
I think the NHTSB, jumped the guns on this one. They left the car in a so called"bone yard", but earlier statements said it was left in the parking lot. Seems rather suspicious to me. You don't give a car a "5 star rating", then days later the test car catches fire. I think the Safety Board should have tested more vehicles, and not only that, but look at how they plug in all these computer equipment. If there was a mistake by the testing board, they should have waited before going public an stating a Volt caught fire after testing. Very misleading almost malicious.
Sounds like someone was paid off to sabotage the testing. Gee...I can't imagine who would want to insure that any hybrid or alterative fuel vehicle would fail, can you?
Big Oil grows ever more desperate these days. Losing tens of thousands of hostages to hybrids, electric cars, SmartCars, wind, solar and geothermal power must been giving them a case of the willies.
"Sounds like someone was paid off to sabotage the testing"...
the pat liberal answer when one of their schemes goes "bust"...
Clearly the fire is Bushs fault. (haha)
Li batteries are very unstable. There was a recall of Li batteries 2 years ago in Laptops, that did the same thing, they burst into flames. it affected toshiba, dell and sony. Batteries are bad, never charge back to their full potential, always a little less each time. Either electric cars that have a power plant that makes electricity or hydrogen powered internal combustion engines.
Sounds like an oversight, it happens. The car is that much safer now regardless of how safe it may or may not have been before.
these cars are the undisputed wave of the future without doubt for most people. hopefully GM will correct the problem. i will stay with the 79 corvette, completely repairable by me and fun to drive, plus it goes up in value every year much like my 82 cj7 which i was a fool to sell.
"these cars are the undisputed wave of the future without doubt for most people"
not until more trillions are scammed from taxpayers to fund setting up the "grid"
but I like your 'vette plan...I drive my '69 Camaro every chance I get , and burn as much gas as I can ...isn't it cool?
Protocol smotocol... Testing is just that, simulations under controlled conditions to attain expected results. In this case the NHTSA testers apparently forgot to discharge the battery. OK now were are talking about a real-life situation which no amount of testing will cover. The testers/developers are out numbered and out-gunned. After spending a 30 plus year career in IT, I learned that no amount of testing can beat the real life user environment. You still test and try to cover every possible contingency, but turn it over to the end user, THEY WILL FIND A WAY TO BREAK IT.
The volt is a piece of crap and no body is buying it, there are thousands of unsold units sitting in storage. Obama's attempt to cause sky high gas prices expecting people to buy these pieces of crap didn't work. Now its the drive bys turn to try and hype them and con people into buying them. But people trust them about as much as they do Obama now....zero.
I trust Obama. Reading your rant and the convoluted illogical leaps you make, who to trust might be a real issue.
I saw nothing in John's post that I would qualify as a rant. I only saw a person expressing an opinion. Yours, however, could be construed as a huge overreaction. I mean really, "convoluted illogical leaps?" LMAO!!!
"I trust Obama"...they say that there is one born every minute...interesting
So, if the car catches fire, just change the driver. Problem solved. I'll take three: one for each of my ex-wives.
"GM officials are worried that the incident could scuttle demand for the vehicle, which is just beginning to see a ramp-up in sales. And the impact could spread beyond Chevy showrooms."
Not like these things were flying off the sales lots to begin with... that same 38-40 g's got me a 2011 Mustang GT350 which I actually can enjoy driving...
Ever since GM stole the EV1 from us... and crushed them so no running examples would remind us just how good they were, THEN sold the NiMh battery patents to the oil companies so there wouldnt be a viable battery to use.... GM sucks...I hope they do go bankrupt... It would be their own Karma comming back to reap justice.... The Volt is junk when compared to the EV1......Buy a Ford..they didnt use the bailout!!
Yeah, Bob76, buy a Ford...they moved to India.
Yes...Hydrogen...that's a safe alternative. hydrogen is doesn't catch fire or explode does it? I recall an incident, what was it? Oh I remember; the Hindenburg?
Every manufacturing company that want's to take part in developing and selling you a product is going to profess how safe it is. They might even believe it them selves, but the one true fact in all of human history; what ever we humans make, "breaks"! It doesn't matter how rigorous the testing and engineering is, eventually the flaw called "the human factor" takes center stage.
ya Robert...some boob always figures out a way to screw up in a way that no engineer would ever think of...haha...and then you have dumbazzes like Dan Rather setup failures to support their agenda