GM offers free loaners to Volt owners as feds probe fires

DETROIT -- General Motors said today that it will provide free loaner vehicles to Chevrolet Volt owners to offer "peace of mind" as federal safety regulators investigate fires that have occurred in the plug-in hybrid's battery pack after crash testing.

In a conference call with the media, GM executives tried to tamp down growing concerns over the Volt's safety after officials from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Friday opened a formal investigation into the risk of fire in Volts that have been involved in severe crashes.

"I believe in the safety of the Volt," said Mark Reuss, GM president of North America. "Our customers' peace of mind is the most important thing. This technology should inspire confidence and pride, not raise any concern or doubt."

Reuss said GM today is sending letters to all Volt customers and dealers to reassure them that the Volt is "safe to drive" and to clarify that the investigation centers on the risk of an electrical fire that can happen days or even weeks after a severe crash.

Any Volt drivers who remain concerned can get a GM loaner car for free "until the issue is resolved."

"It underlines our commitment to the vehicle and its owners," Reuss said.

Team of engineers

GM also said it has formed a team of senior engineers to "develop changes to eliminate concern of potential post-crash electrical fires" and to work with others in the industry to establish protocols.

On Nov. 11, NHTSA disclosed that a Volt that had been involved in a side-impact crash test in May caught fire three weeks later in a storage facility. NHTSA determined that damage to the vehicle's lithium ion battery led to the fire, but said it didn't believe that the Volt or other electric vehicles were a greater fire risk than gasoline-powered vehicles.

On Friday, NHTSA said it conducted three follow-up tests this month that intentionally damaged the Volt's battery pack. Two of those tests caused a fire.

"The agency is concerned that damage to the Volt's batteries as part of three tests that are explicitly designed to replicate real-world crash scenarios have resulted in fire," the agency said in a statement Friday. It added: "Chevy Volt owners whose vehicles have not been in a serious crash do not have reason for concern."

On the conference call with media today, GM executives said that the company has been working with NHTSA since the initial crash in May. They emphasized that there have been no reports of fires from Volt customers.

"The real question is about how to deal with a battery days after a severe crash, making it a matter of interest not just for the Volt, but for our entire industry," Reuss said.

Mary Barra, GM's head of product development, said GM is working with SAE and other automakers on protocols for post-crash treatment of batteries.

She said that draining the battery after a crash is an important step and likely would have avoided the fires that occurred under NHTSA's testing.

Barra said the fire that occurred after the May crash appeared to have been caused by the electronic components inside the battery pack, rather than the chemistry of the battery itself.

Joel Ewanick, GM's global marketing chief, said there are no plans to pull back on GM's heavy advertising of the Volt. He said Volt ads represent about 5 to 6 percent of GM's total advertising spend.

"We're not changing a thing," he said. "We're very proud of this car."

Through October, GM has sold 5,003 Volts in the United States, according to the Automotive News data center.