General Motors has announced significant engineering changes to its Volt electric vehicle (due for local launch by Holden later this year) – as a result of a fiery failure following crash testing by NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Authority) in North America.
Included in the modifications are extra body strengthening to further protect the battery pack in a side impact collision, addition of a sensor to monitor levels in the battery coolant reservoir and fitment of a tamper-resistant bracket for the battery coolant reservoir to prevent over-filling of coolant.
The modifications have been incorporated into current manufacturing processes and existing Volt owners are being contacted to return their vehicles to Chevrolet dealers for rectification.
The changes come after a Volt barrier tested by NHTSA caught fire while parked in a yard three weeks after the crash test. Following that incident NHTSA undertook a laboratory impact test on another Volt battery pack which also resulted in a fire caused by coolant leakage.
In Europe the Chevrolet Volt achieved the maximum five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP.
