GM would have already found a more viable solution for the Volt's batteries

For a few days now we have been analyzing the issue of the batteries that caught fire in some Chevy Volt vehicles in the USA, mainly the units that had been subjected to crash tests by the NHTSA. For this reason, the American safety agency has begun an investigation into the Volt and other electric vehicles because of the danger posed by these lithium batteries.

The NHTSA’s call was enough for Dan Akerson to offer to buy back some Volts and redesign the batteries. But it seems that a more viable solution has been found than redesigning the batteries, which would undoubtedly have sealed the Volt’s fate. The new solution consists of reinforcing the battery container and improving the protection of the batteries’ coolant.

This solution is not a multi-million-dollar fix, since that is the cost of developing new batteries; it will only cost GM some 1,000 dollars per vehicle. However, there is no guarantee that the NHTSA will approve the solution to the problem, calling it a botched job, which would force GM to take this problem more seriously.

Meanwhile, the Volt keeps losing prestige and sales in the USA. Not much more is known about the models intended for Europe or even for the same Opel Ampera, since they remain “frozen” until a solution to the battery issue is found, at least within the American Union.

Via | Autonews