Two More Chevy Volt Batteries Catch Fire After Crash Testing, Chevy Responds With Free Loaner Program

Hmm, the Volt isn't selling well now. This isn't going to help any. Even though it seems like the car will not catch fire until long after an accident, just the idea that your car could catch on fire is going to scare off customers. I wonder if the Leaf does this.

Chevy Runs Deep. Into a salvage yard.

"just the idea that your car could catch on fire"

Just like every other car out there?

"Just like every other car out there?"

+1000

Every car has something flammable for fuel. Hybrid and electric car haters like Magrath will be using this to bash the things they hate. Very predictable.

Yep, Magrath hates electric cars, that must be why it's so hard to get the Volt's keys away from him.

bodyblue says:

"Every car has something flammable for fuel. Hybrid and electric car haters like Magrath will be using this to bash the things they hate. Very predictable."

But the Volt gives you two chances should you fail to ignite it on your first attempt.

In all seriousness, a Nissan Leaf catching on fire spontaneously after a crash test would raise a red flag too. Chevy should just own up to a potential design flaw instead of brushing it off as "eh sh!t happens".

"Yep, Magrath hates electric cars"

Uh huh.....notice how I also said hybrids? There is always a dig against hybrids whenever he gets the chance and in this article, batteries in cars. Either he has a problem with hybrids or he just thinks he is far funnier than he really is....I actually think it is both. He tries to be pithy and just comes off as boorish.

"Chevy should just own up to a potential design flaw instead of brushing it off as "eh sh!t happens". "

Ummm where did you get the idea they are doing that? I read everything about the problem today and they said nothing like that.

bodyblue:

Quoted from the other IL article here:

http://www.insideline.com/chevrolet/volt/gm-details-damage-control-plan-in-wake-of-chevy-volt-woes.html

"When asked why GM didn't foresee the problem with the Volt, Reuss replied: "This is safer than any internal-combustion-engine car. We're talking about going the extra mile.""

- The Volt is highly-rated in crash tests, but "safer than ANY internal-combustion-engine car" is a bold claim. It is not ordinary for a crashed conventional car to start fires.

"Barra would not address whether owners of the electric Nissan Leaf or other EVs should be concerned about fire risks. But she noted that "battery safety isn't just a Volt issue.""

- She's right, but so far only the Volt is the only plug-in electric that has reported three such incidents.

And then there's this separate incident:

http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2011/11/2011-chevrolet-volt-owners-are-you-concerned-about-fire.html

The sum of all just doesn't inspire confidence.

So there is a fire issue. All cars on the road today if hit hard enough in the right place would catch on fire, so I think the GM bashing is overdone. This definitely isn't on the same field as a Ford Pinto. None of these have even occurred with customers. As far as that goes, and on the other end of the spectrum, I seem to remember quite a few Ferrari F458's bursting into flames recently. I don't recall anyone talking about how messed up Ferrari is and how 458's are selling poorly because no one wants them. It's cutting edge technology, expect some hiccups as a result.

Seriously...you smash a laptop battery to bits and don't dispose of it properly for a few weeks and I wonder what would happen to it? Any car has flammable parts, particularly gasoline and other flammable fluids. A damaged, leaking, improperly disposed Li battery is obviously going to catch fire if left to sit around for a bit. Sad that GM has to go on the defensive here because consumers are too stupid to understand that concept and listen to whatever is being sensationalized.

Though I wonder if the Leaf does this, and if not, what design differences are there between the two?

@ BB

Nowhere here do I see Magrath hating on electric/hybrid cars. He reported some facts about the situation and then quoted a GM press release. Doesn't look like bias at all. And from what I recall, Mike has praised the Volt on several occasions. Including this post: http://blogs.insideline.com/roadtests/2011/06/2011-chevy-volt-my-favorite-commuter.html

I know you can't stand Magrath (although I rather like his writing) but this post is pretty much a press release quoted verbatim. I don't see any of Magrath's own opinions and very little of his own writing in it.

"The sum of all just doesn't inspire confidence. "

Maybe, but it is hardly saying "shit happens" The fact that they offering to loan cars while figuring out what to do means they, in fact, care deeply about what is going on. Also from the news release the Head of Chevy said his daughter drives a Volt.

"Nowhere here do I see Magrath hating on electric/hybrid cars"

Several times in the past he has made disparaging remarks about hybrids and the people that drive them....his comment today about exploding batteries (the Vold thread on the LT blog) feeds into the urban legend that mining minerals for batteries is worse than the pollution and eco damage that oil production and consumtion causes. But I just take into account the deeply flawed source.

@bodyblue, you are all about the GM bashing so whats the difference?

This is completely different than a fuel car igniting due to a crash. All 12 of you Volt owners should beware; dont tow your car home after a crash unless you want a fire in your yard.

"@bodyblue, you are all about the GM bashing so whats the difference? "

I bash when warranted....but this time I dont see the need.

When testing the Volt reviewers found that the battery range was reduced to just 26 miles on a cold day because GM neglected to engineer a heating system for their batteries. Ford immediatley jumped on the opportunity and stated our battery powered Focus comes equipped with heaters and no such cold temperature range reduction will be experienced.

Appropriate fuel economy ratings would certainly help sales. It needs to at least exceed its larger more powerful competition (Mustang, Camaro, 370Z, Genesis Coupe) with about 22/32.

An appropriate price point would help sales more. Starting at $20k? That would work. Starting at $30k? Not so much. Once you start getting above $22-23k, you get some pretty significant competition (MS3, V6 Mustang, Cooper S, Civic Si, etc), so beating that price point is essential to making decent sales numbers.

Electrical engineers always consider heat transfer and thermal conductivity issues last. As a mechanical/systems engineer, I've had to fix such problems more often than I care to talk about.

@sohcammer: "because GM neglected to engineer a heating system for their batteries."

Jesus. Even the most trivial investigation would clue you into the fact that the Volt battery has full thermal management. It heats AND cools the battery as appropriate.

The 2011 LEAF does neither. The 2012 has the ability to heat the batteries.

And Ford is Full Of Sh*t if they really said that (and I doubt that they did). Heating the pack takes ENERGY that you can't use to move the car.

Further, Ford didn't engineer anything. They outsourced the Focus EV.

mfennell,

I don't follow or study battery powered cars that closely if at all, they're not that interesting to me, I have more important things to think about.

You know you could learn something from Ford, I get the impression they welcome criticsm as of late, whether it's from customers or reviewers and maybe you should give it a try.

Here is my source, the part that should interest you the most starts at 4:14

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pciUHcmrE8w

The Volt has a heated battery. You said it did not. You were wrong. I wasn't responding to a criticism but to a factual error. There's a difference.

Ford really did say that though. Nice catch, even if you missed the *real* point, which is that neither the host nor Ford's PR department seemed to understand how the Volt works.

I can only imagine the engineers at Magna (who actually designed the drivetrain, not Ford) rolling their eyes. The Focus EV, Ford's PR department notwithstanding, will have EXACTLY the same cold weather behavior as the Volt. That's just the nature of electric cars - batteries don't work as well when they're cold, it takes energy to warm them up, and you're exposed to the true energy costs of heating the cabin.

You should be blaming Consumer Reports for slamming the Volt, apparently they should've contacted you first.

Also apparent is the consumers lack of fanaticism for this car, maybe if you started a letter writing campaign it might have some impact on sales.

Here's Fords latest evaluation of their Hybrid reliability,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1YddX2aTqFc