GM dijo que rectificarian los problemas del carro electrico Volt.
Se ha empezado una investigacion debido a tres incendios ocurridos despues de varios dias de haber sido chocados.
GM Outlines Changes to Volt
By SHARON TERLEP
General Motors Co. on Thursday said it has fixes in place to ensure its battery-powered Chevrolet Volt poses no unusual risk of fire following a serious crash.
The move comes six weeks after U.S. auto safety officials started an investigation into the Volt's lithium-ion battery pack after three of the batteries sparked or caught fire days or weeks after being severely damaged in crash tests.
GM said a coolant leak occurred when the car was damaged, causing the chemical to eventually crystallize and cause an electrical short.
To ensure safety, GM will reinforce parts of the car to help prevent battery damage in the case of a crash. It also will add a sensor to monitor coolant levels and a bracket to the top of the battery to prevent a coolant overflow.
The company said it conducted four crash tests between Dec. 9 and Dec. 21 and found no intrusion into the battery pack and no coolant leakage after applying the fixes.
GM will make the repairs to the roughly 12,500 Volts either on the road or in dealerships. It will incorporate the fix into future cars that it will begin building in February. The company declined to discuss the cost to make the repairs.
"The Volt has always been safe to drive. We are taking these steps to ensure our customers' peace of mind in the days and weeks following a severe crash," Mary Barra, GM product chief, said in a conference call with reporters.
Ms. Barra said there is no concern that the chemical makeup of the battery or the construction of the cell contributed to the issue. "This has nothing to do with the battery pack or the cell. There will be no change to manufacturing process," she said.
GM said U.S. officials are aware of the steps it is taking but deferred questions to NHTSA about whether the action will bring to an end the investigation. "We are optimistic that this will have a positive outcome," said GM North America chief Mark Reuss.
NHTSA, in a statement, said it believes GM's remedy will address its safety concerns. The agency will continue to monitor crashed vehicles for another week to ensure a fire doesn't occur. It expects to complete its review of the Volt and publish any conclusions within coming weeks.
GM is looking to sell 45,000 Volts in 2012, more than five times what it sold in 2011, and has been eager to resolve the battery issue.
Mr. Reuss said the company will only build that many if it believes the company can sell them.
Write to Sharon Terlep at sharon