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Chevy Volt fire prompts U.S. safety probe of lithium ion batteries, report says

Automotive News | November 11, 2011 - 11:55 am EST

DETROIT (Bloomberg) -- U.S. auto-safety regulators are scrutinizing the safety of lithium ion batteries that power electric vehicles after a Chevrolet Volt battery caught fire, people familiar with the probe said.

The regulators have approached all automakers, including General Motors, Nissan Motor Co. and Ford Motor Co., that sell or have plans to sell vehicles with lithium ion batteries with questions about the batteries' fire risk, four people familiar with the inquiry said.

The Volt caught fire while parked at a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing center in Wisconsin, three weeks after a side-impact crash test, said an agency official.

The official, as well as the three other people familiar with the inquiry, said they couldn't be named because the investigation isn't public.

The fire was severe enough to burn vehicles parked near the Volt, the agency official said. Investigators determined the battery was the source of the fire, the official said.

NHTSA also sent a team of investigators this week to Mooresville, N.C., to probe a fire in a residential garage where a Volt was charging. That investigation is continuing, the agency official said.

"As manufacturers continue to develop vehicles of any kind -- electric, gasoline, or diesel -- it is critical that they take the necessary steps to ensure the safety of drivers and first responders both during and after a crash," the safety agency said in a statement today.

"Based on the available data, NHTSA does not believe the Volt or other electric vehicles are at a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles. In fact, all vehicles -- both electric and gasoline-powered -- have some risk of fire in the event of a serious crash."

The agency's greater concern is for rescue response teams, tow truck operators and salvage yards who may be storing plug-in cars after an accident, the official said.

My wife of 30 years has been chatting on-line with her high school boyfriend. While he was in town on a business trip she went to meet him in his hotel room.

She said nothing happened they just talked..

What do you think her plans were?

First of all, I feel so much more confident that the TSA's nude photos of airline passengers will never be released now that I know the government couldn't even prevent half a million classified national security documents from being posted on WikiLeaks.

Do they admit the Toyota has a better vehicle?

On many occasions the fuel gauge does not operate. Too to the dealer and they replaced the sending unit. All work fine for 6 months that problem returned.

Dealer informed problem was caused by cheap gas and not covered under warranty. I used ARCO.

This is the last Ford I will ever own.