Bloomberg: Federal authorities investigating Chevy Volt that caught on fire weeks after crash test

By Nathan Bomey Business news director

Posted on Fri, Nov 11, 2011 : 1:09 p.m.

The federal government is investigating the safety of General Motors' Chevrolet Volt and other cars with lithium batteries, according to a Bloomberg report today that has seized the attention of the auto industry.

The Chevrolet Volt has a 400-pound lithium ion battery pack.

Courtesy photo

A Volt "caught fire while parked at a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing center in Wisconsin, three weeks after a side-impact crash test," Bloomberg reported.

That incident prompted federal inquiries and sparked fears among alternative propulsion advocates that consumers will get a negative impression of electric vehicles.

The Volt, using a 400-pound battery pack, can travel about 35 miles on a single charge of electricity before a gasoline engine kicks in and recharges the car's batteries.

Several news entities reported that GM responded to the Bloomberg report by asserting that the fire would not have occurred had federal officials followed proper safety procedures after the crash test.

Contact AnnArbor.com's Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com. You can also follow him on Twitter or subscribe to AnnArbor.com's newsletters.

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