Volt crash safety enhanced

Clearly keen not to put off potential purchasers or existing owners, General Motors has been swift in upgrading the crash performance of its Chevrolet Volt and Vauxhall / Opel Ampera range extenders.

The changes are designed to provide additional protection to the battery pack, in order to prevent a post-impact electrical fire.

They come in response to a crash test that was carried out in the United States by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration back in May 2011. That test caused battery coolant to leak, which in turn resulted in an electrical fire three weeks later. The NHTSA then replicated the situation under laboratory conditions, which caused a battery pack fire six days after.

Included in the modifications are a sensor for the battery coolant reservoir that monitors coolant levels, a tamper-resistant bracket for the reservoir to prevent coolant overfill and additional structural strengthening that should provide extra side-impact protection for the battery pack.

Chevrolet Volt (2012) Structural Enhancements

As well as being incorporated into the production process, the enhancements will also be retro-fitted to customers’ cars.

Image © GM Company.

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