US officials launch probe of electric vehicles after Volt fire

Los Angeles Times

LOS ANGELES

Federal safety officials have launched a probe into whether the batteries in Chevrolet’s Volt plug-in hybrid sedan are prone to fires.

The probe by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration was launched after a Volt caught fire after a crash test.

The Associated Press, which learned of the probe from a federal safety regulator, said the NHTSA will be looking at the safety of batteries from several makes of electric vehicles.

The Volt is designed to run purely off its batteries for about 40 miles. When the batteries run low, a gasoline engine kicks in and functions as a generator, powering the electric motors and extending the range of the sedan to more than 300 miles.

General Motors Co., which owns the Chevrolet brands, said the Volt is safe.

GM shares fell 19 cents, or about 1 percent, to close at $22.51 on Friday.