NHTSA Has Chevy Volt Under Microscope

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says they have been conducting fire safety tests on the Chevy Volt. They've been simulating crashes where the coolant line has been ruptured to see what would happen. They've conducted three tests during this past month aimed at studying the Volt after a crash.

Using three different Chevy Volts the results show that if a crash occurs and the coolant line ruptures the battery pack begins to spark and smoke almost immediately following the simulated crashes. The car showed signs that if left unattended they would catch on fire.

 The NHTSA says because of these test results there will be a formal investigation. Other electric cars use the battery packs and more than likely they'll all be scrutinized for defects after simulated crashes.

The NHTSA said there's no concern about the Volt catching on fire if it hasn't been involved in a serious crash. It's not suddenly going to go up in flames by itself, these tests are aimed at simulating very serious crashes.

GM is countering the negative news and publicity by offering current Volt owners a free "loaner" vehicle while it works with the NHTSA to fix the problem. GM has sold over 5,000 Chevy Volts this year through October at the $40K price point.

More details at Automotive Discovery.

Loaner Car details at Bloomberg.