Nick bonklenov.
2011 Detroit-
On Friday, federal security regulators said they had started a formal defect investigation into the Chevrolet Volt as the second battery caught fire after the crash simulation.
Regulators have been checking the batteries in several plugs
Since a fire involving Volt in June 1, cars have been severely damaged in a government crash test.
Volt battery packs that were deliberately damaged in November, Thursday.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said the fire was on fire as part of the test.
The agency also recorded a temporary temperature rise one day after another battery pack was damaged, and the third package "started smoking and releasing Sparks" after the damage, then reversed to simulate a rollover collision. “N. H. T. S. A.
Don't know any road crashes that cause battery damage
Related fires in Chevrolet Volt or other vehicles powered by lithium
It said in a statement.
"However, the agency is concerned about the damage of the Volt battery as part of three tests that explicitly aim to replicate the real battery
A world crash caused a fire. ”The N. H. T. S. A.
Indicates that its battery test did not raise any safety issues with the batteries in other plugs
Among car and "Chevrolet Volt owners, there was no serious collision with their vehicle and there was no reason for them to worry.
General Motors, which started selling Volt about a year ago, said in a statement that it was not surprised by the investigation, but insisted that the car was not defective.
It has been working closely with the agency to try to replicate the June fire, which was first publicly disclosed this month until last week's test, and neither side has experienced any similar incidents.
The ad "Volt is safe and there will be no unnecessary risk as part of normal operation or immediately after a serious crash," Jim Federico, G. M.
Chief engineer of electric vehicles said in a statement. “G. M.
The agency's focus and research remains on battery performance, handling, storage and disposal after a collision or other major event (such as a fire) to better serve first and second level responders
There are no reports of similar incidents in this area.
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Due to a fire in June, a storage facility three weeks after the car crash
The battery cannot be deactivated after testing.
On July, it began to promote post-collision safety agreements to emergency personnel, requiring that the battery be isolated from the rest of the car by disconnecting the switch and then run out by the company.
The company said it believed that the fire in June was due to the leakage of the crystalline coolant from the cooling system of the battery, and gathered in another part of the package for testing, a G, when rotating in the collision. M.
Spokesman Rob Peterson said in an interview last week. The N. H. T. S. A.
Last week's test resulted in a recent fire, including damage to the battery box and breaking the coolant line.
A version of this article was printed on page B6 of the New York edition on November 26, 2011, with the title: a formal defect investigation of Volt batteries begins.
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