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[Richard230]

I just heard on the news that the Li-ion batteries in the GM Volt that was being tested by the Federal Government caught on fire.  The report was that this issue caused GM's stock price to fall today.

[gasdive]

last I heard was that there was a fire in a garage that had a volt in it but it was nothing to do with the car however Fox was reporting it in a way to make it sound like the car caused the fire.

Who knows the truth.

=:)

[Richard230]

Here is the scoop regarding this report: 

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-11-11/gm-volt-battery-fire-is-said-to-prompt-u-s-probe-into-electric-car-safety.html

[gasdive]

Oh, this is the other one.  I've heard of two.  One there was a fire in the garage that conatained a volt, this one is a fire of a crashed tested volt.   If you crash a petrol car it often bursts in to flame, not weeks later in a holding yard, but straight away, with the occupants still trapped inside.  Both have prompted stories like this.  I like the way the end of this one is an unrelated bit about range anxiety and that people would be best not to buy one until 2020.

[Richard230]

An article in the business section of my newspaper today, written by the AP, titled "Coolant leak likely cause of Volt fires", reports that: "The liquid solution that cools the Chevrolet Volt's batteries is the likely cause of fires that broke out inside the electric car after government crash tests, a person briefed on the matter said."

The article goes on to say:  "The coolant did not catch fire, but crystallized and created an electrical short that apparently sparked the fires, said the person, who asked not to be identified because the findings are not final."

I guess the coolant for the batteries is not water.