Who could have predicted such an outcome? NHTSA has closed its nearly two-month investigation into the fiery deaths of some crash-tested Chevy Volts, concluding that “no discernible defect trend exists and that the vehicle modifications recently developed by General Motors reduce the potential for battery intrusion resulting from side impacts.”
Some more choice quotes from the NHTSA statement:
“NHTSA remains unaware of any real-world crashes that have resulted in a battery-related fire involving the Chevy Volt or any other electric vehicle.”
“Based on the available data, NHTSA does not believe that Chevy Volts or other electric vehicles pose a greater risk of fire than gasoline-powered vehicles. Generally all vehicles have some risk of fire in the event of a serious crash.”
Sound familiar? We said as much a month ago.
The statement also reiterates that emergency responders, tow-truck drivers, and those operating storage facilities need to be aware of the specific risks surrounding damaged high-voltage batteries. NHTSA says it has partnered with the National Fire Protection Association, the Department of Energy, and unnamed others to develop guidance for these groups.
Unless the NHTSA announcement itself catches fire, we probably won’t be hearing about this topic for a while. Unless we just jinxed it.
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