Following the Chevrolet Volt’s lithium-ion battery become the subject of a major NHTSA safety probe, GM said that it is moving to a less volatile battery chemistry for its upcoming Chevrolet Spark Electric that will go on sale in 2013. GM said that it will be using phosphate-based lithium ion batteries from A123 Systems that [...]
House Republicans have sent a letter over to General Motors CEO Dan Akerson asking him for a ‘detailed narrative’ on how the automaker learned about a fire risk involving the Chevrolet Volt’s lithium-ion battery. They have also asked why GM didn’t let the public know of the issue sooner. The House’s Committee on Oversight and [...]
General Motors engineers are close to finalizing proposed fixes for the Chevrolet Volt battery pack that engineers believe would get rid of the risk of fire being triggered days after a crash, according to sources that spoke with Reuters today. The Volt has been under fire since the NHTSA opened a formal probe into the [...]
GM CEO Dan Akerson has said that the company may redesign the battery of the Chevrolet Volt to address issues raised after the NHTSA opened a safety probe into the plug-in electric car. “We want to assure the safety of our customers, of our buyers, and so we’re just going to take a time out, [...]
Earlier this week, General Motor said that it will allow any Chevrolet Volt owner concerned about safety a free GM vehicle loan until the NHTSA completes its investigation into the plug-in hybrid’s lithium-ion battery. The NHTSA opened a formal probe into the Chevrolet Volt this past weekend following test results that caused electrical fires up to three [...]
While the Chevrolet Volt may be in an awkward spotlight as The National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration conducts a safety investigation on its batteries that can catch fire after being crash tested, the plug-in hybrid took the top spot in the Consumer Reports annual owner-satisfaction survey. 93 percent of the respondents who own GM’s Volt [...]
Following the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s announcement that it will open a formal probe into the Chevrolet Volt this past weekend, General Motors today announced its plans for customer satisfaction and battery safety research to ensure confidence in Volt. “The agency advised GM on Friday that it would open a preliminary evaluation of Volt [...]
Earlier this month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that a test Chevrolet Volt vehicle used in its NCAP crash test in May caught fire three weeks later, causing the agency to question the safety of lithium-ion battery powered electric-cars. The NHTSA now says that it has opened a formal safety defect investigation to [...]
According to GM’s Jim Federico, executive director, group vehicle line director and VLE for global compact, mini, small and EV, the company will offer a plug-in hybrid version of the Cruze to rival Toyota’s Prius Plug-in Hybrid. Now here’s where things get a little confusing (nut not that much). Unlike the Chevrolet Volt, the electrified version of [...]
Electric powertrains are by no means new to the automobile industry because Toyota had invented the gasoline electric hybrid back in 1997. And although their functionality has been undoubtedly successful, a new investigation has popped up involving electric powertrains, more specifically with their battery packs. This new investigation pops up after a Chevrolet Volt battery [...]
