Ahead of all other major factors that automakers like Chevy take into account when designing new or vehicles is the safety of drivers and passengers. As such, when there is any inkling of doubt that the vehicles they put on the road offer anything less than optimum safety, Chevrolet takes the time and resources to investigate and fix the issue. So, when the National Highway Traffic Safety Adminisration (NHTSA) came to Chevy with concerns about the battery pack of the Volt in a post-crash scenario, Chevrolet stepped up the plate.

First, Chevrolet shared with consumers that concerns had been raised about the integrity of the battery after a car accident. They also offered any concerned customers loaner vehicles while they took the time to find a solution to the problem. And now, Chevrolet has announced that they've modified the battery pack of the plug-in Volt, and it's safer than ever.

"The Volt has always been safe to drive," says Mary Barra, GM Senior VP of Global Product Development. "Now, we will go the extra mile to ensure our customer's peace of mind in the days and weeks following a severe crash."¹ More specifically, the innovative Volt has won numerous safety awards from major safety groups in the industry, and it was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2011. With these latest changes to the Volt, drivers have less to worry about in case of an accident.

The enhanced safety, by way of some minor engineering modifications, include a reinforced battery pack, a coolant leak sensor, and a mechanism that prevents coolant overfill. These three changes combined have been approved by NHTSA as appropriate measures to prevent the possibility of the electrical component fires that first raised concerns. Barra says that the inherent structure of the Volt is unchanged, and that the "have tested the Volt's battery system for more than 285,000 hours...we're as confident as ever that the cell design is among the safest on the market."²

After further testing, NHTSA has also approved these changes, saying, "The results of the crash test showed no intrusion into the vehicles battery compartment, and no leaking was apparent...the preliminary results of the crash test indicate that the remedy proposed by General Motors today should address the issue."³

If you own a Volt, and Chevy hasn't already contacted you to make changes to your vehicle, they will be in touch with you shortly. If you're in the market for a new car and would like to learn more about all of the safety features that make all of the new Chevy models in our showroom some of the safest cars on the road, we invite you to stop into Cole Krum Chevrolet, located at 343 W Prairie St Vicksburg, MI 49097. A member of our team is always happy to work with you to arrange test drives, talks specs, safety and trim levels, and answer any of your questions.

Sources:
- ^1,2http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/chevrolet/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2012/Jan/0105_volt
- ³http://www.nhtsa.gov/About+NHTSA/Press+Releases/2012/Statement+of+National+Highway+Traffic+Safety+Administration+On+General+Motors%27+Plan+to+Address+Potential+Fire+Risk+in+Chevy+Volts