GM to provide Volt owners with loan vehicle during NHTSA investigation

General Motors announced that it will lend Chevrolet Volt owners a replacement vehicle during National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s investigation of the Volt’s battery pack.

On Nov. 25, NHTSA said it will investigate the safety of the Volt’s lithium-ion battery following two reports of the battery catching fire after the battery was damaged in a crash test.

A Volt vehicle that was in a crash test on Nov.17 caught fire on Nov. 24. During the crash test, the vehicle’s battery pack and coolant line were damaged. NHTSA believes that the fire was a result of the battery damage during the crash.

The Nov. 17 crash was simulated to mimic a crash in May that had involved a similar battery pack and that had damaged the coolant line and battery pack. The battery pack that was damaged in the May crash test caught fire three weeks later.

NHTSA states that no Volt owners have reported battery fires. It’s too soon to tell if a recall will result from the investigation.