Chevy Volt will receive safety enhancements, but don't call it a recall

Chevy Volt will receive safety enhancements, but don't call it a recall:

Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Chevrolet, GM

The Chevrolet Volt is about to get safer. That's the big message from GM today as the company announced structural and cooling system "safety enhancements" that are intended to better distribute the car's energy load from a crash and, thus, better protect the battery from potential fires.



Mark Reuss, president of GM North America, said that GM is treating this as a voluntary customer satisfaction issue, and therefor it is not a recall. Still, the process to fix the cars does kind of smell like a recall, since all the Volts that have left the factory - roughly 8,000 already sold and another 4,400 at dealerships (every Ampera will need to get this fix as well) - will need to be changed, a process that takes roughly 2-3 hours, Reuss said. He would not hint at what this could cost GM.



Mary Barra, senior vice president of Global Product Development, said the repair parts should be ready and out to dealers in February. In a conference call with reporters, Barra explained the fix this way:

First, we're going to strengthen an existing portion of the vehicle safety structure that protects the battery pack in the event of a severe side collision. ... The current steel tunnel of the car acts as a safety cage surrounding the battery pack. The side pole test impacts the car directly in line with the cross car structure. ... The structural enhancements more evenly distribute the load to further protect the battery and coolant line in the event of a severe side crash. In addition to these structural modifications, we are going to make enhancements to the cooling system. First, we're going to be installing a sensor in the reservoir of the battery cooling system to monitor battery coolant levels. We're also adding a tamper-resistant bracket to the top of the battery coolant resevoir to prevent a potential coolant overfill.

Barra added that the LG Chem cell chemistry used in the Volt is safe and that, "We still believe liquid cooling is the right option for the Volt."



Since Volt production was shut down for the holidays (as is normal), Reuss said that when it is restarted "very shortly" the safety enhancements will be in place. As for the cars out in the wild, GM dealers can still sell them before the repairs are made because, Reuss said, "the car is safe."



Not everyone is so sure. Reuss said that around 250 Volt owners have requested either a loaner vehicle or a potential buyback, but he said this number may change following today's announcement. As for people who are still shopping, Reuss said, "To our potential customers, if you're in the market, we think you'll be missing an opportunity if you don't consider the Volt."



With that in mind, what does 2012 hold for the Volt? Reuss admitted that even though higher production numbers have been set for the coming year, GM is flexible and that, "We will match supply with demand."

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Chevy Volt will receive safety enhancements, but don't call it a recall originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 12:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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