new post-accident chevy volt engine fires prompt investigation - 3.7 volt rechargeable lithium ion battery

New fire involving lithium
Ion batteries from General Motors
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday that the Chevrolet Volt had prompted an investigation to assess the risk of electric vehicles catching fire after a serious crash.
The security authority said in a statement that a Volt battery pack was closely monitored after a government crash test on Thursday.
Crashed again recently.
The tested battery emits smoke and sparks, the statement said.
GM was informed of the investigation on Friday that the company said in a statement that the Volt was "safe and would not be a part of normal operations or at an immediate risk of misconduct after a serious crash.
"The recent fire, in addition to the battery fire in the crash --
Tested Volt six months ago.
NHTSA learned that when a Volt stored in the parking lot of the Wis Burlington test facility has a fire, there may be a fire risk for a damaged Volt battery.
The fire was severe enough to cause several other cars parked nearby to catch fire.
The car was hit on one side.
On May 12, during the crash test more than three weeks ago, the battery was punctured and the coolant line broke.
Last week's test of three battery packs was designed to replicate the May test.
In that test, the voltage was on the analog side.
The mechanism says it hits a narrow object, such as a tree or pole, and then turns sideways.
The first battery tested last week was not on fire.
But a battery test in November
The temperature initially rose temporarily and caught fire on Thursday.
Another battery was tested in November.
18, rotated 180 degrees within hours of the test, and started smoking and sparks shortly after the rotation.
NHTSA and energy and defense department gates were tested at a defense facility near Hampton Road, Va.
NHTSA said that so far there have been no reports of Volt fires related to road collisions.
More than 5,000 of vehicles have been sold.
The agency said it was too early to judge whether the investigation would result in a recall of any vehicle or component, but the government would ensure that consumers would be notified in a timely manner if that happened.
GM said that since its OnStar secure communication system is part of the car, "GM has real-time knowledge of any major accidents that are enough to potentially compromise the integrity of the battery . ".
"Since July, GM has implemented a post-
Collision protocols, including wear and tear of the battery after a serious collision, restore the battery to safety and low powerpowered state.
"Electric vehicles are crucial to President Obama's plan to cut American car production. S.
Dependence on foreign oil
He called for 1 million vehicles to be on the road by 2015.
Volt and Nissan's Leaf have more than 8,000 cars on American roads. S.
Belong to the first qualitymarketed plug-
Electric cars.
They started selling in 2011 models.
Other automakers are also developing electric vehicles.
NHTSA said safety testing did not raise concerns about electric vehicles other than Volt.
But the agency requires manufacturers of electric vehicles on the market, or plans to introduce manufacturers of electric vehicles in the near future, more detailed information about their battery tests and the procedures they have developed for discharging and handling batteries, including suggestions to reduce fire risk.
"NHTSA continues to believe that electric vehicles have amazing potential to help protect the environment, create jobs and strengthen national security by reducing our dependence on oil, saving money for consumers, the agency said.
After the first battery fire, GM officials complained that NHTSA did not exhaust the battery energy as required by the automaker's collision procedure.
NHTSA usually emits fuel from gasoline.
The power car was tested for collision, they said. Lithium-
Rechargeable ion batteries have become the subject of several recalls of consumer electronics.
Millions of laptop batteries produced by Sonyfor Apple Inc. , Dell Inc.
Lenovo Group Co. , Ltd.
On 2006 and 2007, they were recalled after finding that other PC manufacturers might overheat and ignite.
The Federal Aviation Administration issued a warning to airlines that a fire could occur on goods containing lithiumion and non-
Last year, a combined Parcel Service plane crashed near Dubai, killing two pilots, followed by rechargeable lithium-metal batteries.
There are thousands of lithium batteries on the plane.
The FAA says batteries that are incorrectly packaged, damaged or overheated may catch fire.
Fire involving lithium
The ion battery can reach 1,100 degrees, close to the melting point of aluminum, the key material in the aircraft structure. Lithium-
The temperature of the metal battery is much higher and can reach 4,000 degrees.
General Motors and NHTSA point out that gasoline cars
The power engine is easy to catch fire after the collision.
In the event of a crash, NHTSA's advice to consumers is to do the same thing they would do in gasolinepowered car --
Leave the vehicle and move the safe distance.
The agency also advised against storing severely damaged electric vehicles near the garage or other vehicles.