The fires remain the only cases of a battery-related fire in a crash or crash test of vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries so far.
GM announced today changes in the design of the Chevrolet Volt to strengthen the structure of the electric vehicle to protect the battery after rollover testing by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration produce two fires in the LG Chem supplied battery. Chevrolet will also modify existing Volt models on the road and at dealerships.
It was not immediately clear whether NHTSA would require that Chevrolet Volt EVs be recalled or whether the modifications can be done as a customer satisfaction procedure. There remains at this moment an ongoing NHTSA engineering analysis, which could lead to a recall. GM said it was “optimistic” that no recall would be required, a politically sensitive issue since the federal government still holds a large 27% stake in GM.
NHTSA opened its Preliminary Evaluation on 25 November following a severe-impact lab test on a battery pack that resulted in an electrical fire six days later. The test was conducted to reproduce a coolant leak that occurred in a full-scale vehicle crash test last May that resulted in an electrical fire three weeks later.
GM in a statement said to protect the Volt battery from the possibility of an electrical fire occurring days or weeks after a severe side crash, the following changes will be made:
• Strengthen an existing portion of the Volt’s vehicle safety structure to further buy accutane usa protect the battery pack in a severe side collision.
• Add a sensor in the reservoir of the battery coolant system to monitor coolant levels.
• Add a tamper-resistant bracket to the top of the battery coolant reservoir to help prevent potential coolant overfill.
GM conducted four successful crash tests in December of Volts with the structural changes. There was no intrusion into the battery pack and no coolant leakage in any of the tests.
“These enhancements and modifications will address the concerns raised by the severe crash tests,” Barra said.
“There are no changes to the Volt battery pack or cell chemistry as a result of these actions. We have tested the Volt’s battery system for more than 285,000 hours, or 25 years, of operation. We’re as confident as ever that the cell design is among the safest on the market.”
Chevrolet Volt customers will be notified – likely starting in February – when the modifications, which will take an estimated two hours to perform are available for their vehicles. The enhancements on 12,400 Volts in owner and dealer control, and are being incorporated into the Volt manufacturing process as production resumes this month.
See also:
- GM Will Lend Cars to Concerned Chevrolet Volt Owners as NHTSA Volt Battery Fire Investigation Continues
- Chevrolet Volt Earns 5 Stars in Euro NCAP with No Battery Fires. GM Announces Volt Export Plans to China Next Year
- NHTSA Opens a Formal Defect Investigation into Chevrolet Volt Battery Fires When a Second Fire Occurs After a Crash Test
