2nd electric car battery fire involving Chevy Volt WASHINGTON Federal officials say they are investigating the safety of lithium-ion battery in General Motors Co.'s Chevrolet Volt after a second battery fire following crash-testing of the electric car. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday that three Volt battery packs were crash-tested last week. In one instance, the battery caught fire afterward, and in another the battery emitted smoke and sparks. Last May, a fire erupted in the battery of a Chevy Volt that had been damaged during a government crash test three weeks earlier. Last week's tests were an attempt to replicate the May fire. NHTSA has opened a formal safety defect investigation of the batteries. General Motors officials said previously that government officials didn't follow the carmaker's protocols for storing post-crash batteries. http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/...ric-car-battery-fire-involving-chevy-volt/?ap I wouldn't want that car in my garage or shop. You could lose everything. _
So again, they've shown that the batteries are at risk of fire if you get into a major accident and then do nothing to try and fix it.
None of those caught fire right after a crash. It happened days later. As I pointed out several times, GM put out a bulliten on batteries that have been cracked in a crash and those procedures were not followed. The battries should have been emptied. "General Motors officials said previously that government officials didn't follow the carmaker's protocols for storing post-crash batteries."
Yes... when you go buy a volt... does the dealer spend a great deal of time going over how to deal with your car after a crash? Does the dealer warn you that the thing might explode? What about wrecker services? Does my wrecker down the street know what to do with a crashed electric car? Sorry... doesn't fly.
Sounds like batteries should be replaced after a crash, problem solved. As for catching on fire, regular cars catch fire all the time.
I think you watch too many movies. I am unaware of the NHTSA having a lot of fires crash testing. Worth researching I suppose.
Great OP, and you are certainly correct. A car may catch on fire. I do believe though that it has happened before with various other makes and models.
Well not literally all the time, but little shorts happen under the dash board and floom. Anecdotally I drive for my job and see car fires with no signs of external vehicle damage probably about as frequently as I see bad accidents. I prefer the car fires as no one is hurt the vehicle occupants just stand off to the side watch, and they are usually pulled over to the shoulder out of the way.
I am aware that they happen. I have had two cars catch on fire while driving. Both for the same reason. The first was a DeLorean. A poorly sealed valve cover was leaking oil onto the exhaust manifold. The other was a Volvo which has what is called an "oil trap". When that gets clogged it blows oil out of the breather cap, which is positioned at an angle over the exhaust headers. I put out both fires. The second was a bit more risky. I did not wish it to turn into a car-b-q so I drove it like a bat out of hell to get to my house where there was an extinguisher. The DeLorean happened in the rain luckily. I looked out my rear view and saw the smoke and glow, pulled over, ripped up the engine cover and dumped mud from the roadside all over it. Li-on fires are different, first of all. You need a different type of extinguisher to put out chemical fires... and the fires you are referring to (and mine) happen on older vehicles, or from idiots rewiring stereos. I am not aware of cars that spontaniously combust days after an accident... and again, because these fires are "different", tow companies are at significant risk of being impacted by these types of fires. 500lb Li-on batteries are a bad idea IMO. Also particularly "not green" to manufacture/dispose of these mammoths.
Great point on the chemical fire. The disposal of batteries can be green if recycled properly... the mining of the elements/minerals that make up a battery isn't particularly green.
My wife was involved in a crash about 6 months ago. One of the fire fighters called out to the scene, cut the battery cables to her car, even though only the front fender and grill were damaged on the opposite side of the battery. So even with a regular battery, the fire department has been told what procedures should be required to a battery in a crash. Yes, I think all tow companies should be provided with a procedure to be followed with an electric car when they are towed in.
