According to recent news, the electric charger of the Chevy Volt is under alleged investigation due to a recent house fire possibly caused by the car’s battery overheating. The issue, according to authorities, lies in the lithium ion batteries. The reports stated that while during their own crash test, the battery presented a certain fire hazard.
There was a report released from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration testing center that showed that the battery belonging to the Chevy Volt caught fire while stored in a garage. That was a strange coincidence since the vehicle with the burned battery had been in a crash related to a side-impact test three weeks before the fire.
After the reported accidents, many have been demonstrating some concern with safety issues related to GM’s Volt. Following the media frenzy linked to the electric car’s past failures, the NHTSA has issued a statement claiming electric cars do not pose more of a threat than traditional gasoline vehicles.
Since this is a sensitive matter, NHTSA is beginning an investigation to determine if Volt’s lithium-ion batteries are safe or not. After all tests are run, the agency will also ask the companies to expose recommendations related to the special ways owners should charge and handle Volt’s batteries.
As a Los Angeles product liability lawyer, I understand how frustrating it can be when we can’t even rely on our own vehicle. Don’t delay in contacting a personal injury lawyer in the case of a personal injury caused by a defected product.