Tag Archives: lithium-ion batteries

The Chevrolet Volt is one of the newest hybrid cars on the market that functions as an electric car with a backup tank of gas (just in case!) It has been marketed as a safe car by its producer but a recent spontaneous engine fire has created some concern. The fire occured in testing laboratories three weeks after the car had undergone a crash test, New York Times reported. It was determined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that this was, in fact, the cause of the fire. The incident is shocking enough to call into question the safety of a future vehicles operating on a lithium-ion battery.

 Chevrolet Volt

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As a result,  Federal safety regulators are beginning to examine  lithium-ion batteries, the same technology found in most popular electronics such as computers and cell-phones.  This technology is made of lighter cells than the  nickel-metal hydride batteries, found in most hybrids, but are more prone to being damaged in crashes. This is a cause of concern because lithium-ion batteries are used in all electric cars and any negative public conception of their safety can drive down their demand. General Motors saw a dip by 3% in their shares last Friday after the incident. 

 Lithium-ion battery

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Federal officials at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration contend that the Chevrolet Volt and cars like it are no more volatile or dangerous than traditional cars that run on gas. In fact, this is the only known incident in which a  hybrid exploded in such a manner and the technicians were not able to reproduce the incident in the lab.

General Motors had taken precautionary and preventive measures before introducing the Chevrolet Volt to the market to increase the safety of its users. As the car runs on newer technology, General Motors provided  training courses on safety issues related to plug-in cars to teach civil servants like police officers, paramedics and firefighters.

Although General Motors is reacting well to the situation by running tests and assuring the public of the cars safety, the incident still comes as a shock as the car has gone through 20-mile-per-hour side-impact crash test for which it received the highest score: a five-star rating. The Volt has also received five starts in rollover crash tests and four stars in its ability to take front-impact crashes. 

It is the hope of many electric car enthusiasts that this was an isolated accident.