GM modifying Volt amid concerns about battery fires

By Andrew Restuccia - 01/05/12 01:15 PM ET

General Motors announced Thursday a series of modifications to its Chevrolet Volt aimed at preventing potential fires in the plug-in electric vehicle’s battery.

The company said it will modify existing Volts under a new "Customer Satisfaction Program," while new Volts will be manufactured with the updates.

The changes come after the Transportation Department’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) found in tests that the Volt’s battery could catch fire several days after a high-impact crash.

GM executives insisted Thursday that the Volt is safe, arguing the modifications are a precautionary measure.

“The Volt has always been safe to drive. Now, we will go the extra mile to ensure our customers’ peace of mind in the days and weeks following a severe crash,” Mary Barra, GM’s senior vice president of global product development, said in a statement.

GM noted that while the Volt’s potential battery problems have been identified by NHTSA, they have not occurred in real-world conditions.

Thursday’s announcement is the latest bump in the road for the Volt, which has suffered lagging sales. It comes about a week after Fisker Automotive recalled 239 electric vehicles because of a faulty battery component that could cause a fire.

GM said it will strengthen the vehicle to protect the battery against high-impact crashes and install a sensor to monitor battery coolant levels. NHTSA’s crash tests indicated that a coolant leak was responsible for the battery fires.