Pat Dollard

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USA Today:

Federal safety regulators said today they are opening a formal safety investigation into whether the batteries in the Chevrolet Volt plug-in extended-range electric car catch fire after crashes. The probe could have far-reaching implications for all electric cars and other devices powered by advanced batteries.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it was taking its action after crash tests on the Volt, a car that can be plugged in to run about 25 or more miles on advanced lithium-ion batteries before its gas engine takes over.

The first hint of trouble came in May when NHTSA crashed a Chevy Volt in a routine test designed to measure the vehicle’s ability to protect occupants from injury in a side collision. NHTSA says during that test, the vehicle’s battery was damaged and the coolant line was ruptured. Three weeks later, it caught fire. The fire was blamed on the battery.

In an effort to re-create the May test, NHTSA conducted tests last week on the Volt’s lithium-ion battery pack. In each case, the battery was damaged as if in a crash. Three very bad things happened:

Following a test on Nov. 16 that did not result in a fire, a temporary increase in temperature was recorded in a test the next day.

During the test on Nov. 18, the battery pack was rotated within hours after it was impacted and began to smoke and emit sparks shortly after it was inverted.

On Thursday, the battery pack that was tested on Nov. 17 caught fire. It has been under continuous monitoring since the test.

NHTSA says it is unaware of any actual crashes that have resulted in battery-related fires in Chevy Volts or other vehicles powered by lithium-ion batteries. However, 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 adds:

“NHTSA continues to believe that electric vehicles have incredible potential to save consumers money at the pump, help protect the environment, create jobs, and strengthen national security by reducing our dependence on oil. In fact, NHTSA testing on electric vehicles to date has not raised safety concerns about vehicles other than the Chevy Volt.”

The same type of batteries are used in other electric cars, like the Nissan Leaf, as well as lots of other household devices, like laptop computers and cordless drills.

Before it decides whether more serious action is required, like a recall, NHTSA is recommending drivers of electric cars take the same precautions for a crash that they would in a gas-powered car. (Remember, gasoline explodes like a bomb.) It also says tow truck drivers and storage yard operators should take care to store Volts outside and away from anything else that can burn.

Overall, the Volt has received high marks for its performance in crashes, such as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests in the photo above.