19 replies to this topic

[Elite_Deforce]

GM is offering loaner cars for those concerned about safety of their Volts. Apparently they explode. So do other cars. I think this is bullshit.

http://www.nytimes.c...-volt-safe.html

[Steve]

I have to agree... This is being over sensationalized to some degree just because it gets news ratings. Most cars have giant gas bombs that when wrecked and exposed to heat/fire will detonate. The bad thing is that this could drive poor public opinion and cause the same stigma to occur that exists for diesel.

[Chris V.]

it was ONE Volt that caught fire in an NHTSA test, and it actually occurred 3 WEEKS after the crash test while the car was sitting in the yard. NHTSA got two other battery packs to catch fire after taking them out of the car, smashing them and then rolling them over. Volts in real world accidents have proven to be safe already. I wonder what would happen in an NHTSA test if a, say, Lexus gas tank was removed from a car, filled up, then smashed into a concrete wall at 60 mph? Then rolled around for a bit to make sure gas leaked out...

[Chris V.]

A forum user on GM-Volt.com recently posted images of what might be the first totaled Chevy Volt—a vehicle that's rated a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and five stars by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The incident reportedly occurred on the New Jersey Turnpike in late October. The driver of the Volt describes the chain of events: "My family and I were heading south on the New Jersey Turnpike when a Ford Taurus decided to veer into our lane. It hit the drivers side door, pushed us into the right lane where we were then smashed into by an oncoming school bus. As you can see, the damage was bad and they just classified the car as a total loss."

Contents from the Volt's rear cargo area flew into the back seat, landing in the laps of the driver’s three-year-old and 15-month-old children. The Volt driver describes the crash, "The initial impact wasn't too bad, but then the bus hit us and it was such a loud BANG of an explosion, there was a second where I was too scared to turn around and look at my kids. You could hear the bus's engine IN the car. The car then filled with a burning rubber smell and smoke and it wobbled from side to side a bit. You could hear the tires chirping as the traction control held the car in a straight line until we were able to pull to the side."

The Volt owner continues by stating that he was driving approximately 40 miles per hour when the impact occurred and notes that the Volt's rear glass completely shattered during the crash. The moment the Volt came to a halt, its Onstar system went into action, calling the police and emergency medical services.

Fortunately, despite the damage, the driver of the Volt stated, "Except for some back and neck pain for my wife and I, it was a miracle that there wasn’t any more injuries." The two children seated in the rear of the Volt escaped completely unharmed.

[logical1]

It can happen to any of the electric cars with their high capacity batteries. The volt like all the other electrics are basically dumb since they get their power for fossil fuel power plants. They are brought into being by a bunch of "green" politicians that seem to know nothing about the auto business.

BTW and crash of an electric car can cause a fire, and be a hazmat site.

[Jammo]

I think its too soon for electric cars, Hybrids are ok, its the manufacturers wanting that green image, the "we care for the environment" type....the technology is being rushed, example- Electric cars are on sale in the UK, Nissan Leaf, the Peugeot Ion, etc.....but there arnt much, if at all any, charging points on the motorway system, only in some cities, TopGear proved that hassle!

[Chris V.]

logical1, on 03 December 2011 - 01:38 PM, said:

BTW and crash of an electric car can cause a fire, and be a hazmat site.

So can the crash of a regular gasoline powered car. Do people simply forget that regular cars can and do catch fire daily? Di you stop driving your gasoline powered car the first time you saw a fire in a car? You're driving around on a big ol' bomb yourself, you know.

[Chris V.]

Jammo, on 03 December 2011 - 04:13 PM, said:

I think its too soon for electric cars, Hybrids are ok, its the manufacturers wanting that green image, the "we care for the environment" type....the technology is being rushed, example- Electric cars are on sale in the UK, Nissan Leaf, the Peugeot Ion, etc.....but there arnt much, if at all any, charging points on the motorway system, only in some cities, TopGear proved that hassle!

EVs and plug in hybrids like the Volt are ready now. And unlike the UK, the US is very advanced in electrifying it's transportation infrastructure. Also, Top Gear proves nothing, it is an entertainment show not a factual show. Remember that, as I'll bring it up every time Top Gear is referenced as a factual source of information.

[Elite_Deforce]

Chris V., on 03 December 2011 - 05:20 PM, said:

EVs and plug in hybrids like the Volt are ready now. And unlike the UK, the US is very advanced in electrifying it's transportation infrastructure. Also, Top Gear proves nothing, it is an entertainment show not a factual show. Remember that, as I'll bring it up every time Top Gear is referenced as a factual source of information.

They were right about the Prius.

[Jammo]

Chris V., on 03 December 2011 - 05:20 PM, said:

EVs and plug in hybrids like the Volt are ready now. And unlike the UK, the US is very advanced in electrifying it's transportation infrastructure. Also, Top Gear proves nothing, it is an entertainment show not a factual show. Remember that, as I'll bring it up every time Top Gear is referenced as a factual source of information.

Oh I know that TopGear isnt exactly reliable for info, just like Wikipedia.....but then theres a reason why the UK isnt so advanced in the electrifying of its transportation network. (It has something to do with Mr. Cameron)

Edited by Jammo, 04 December 2011 - 01:55 PM.

[carsmage]

Every body, I hate accident, my dad was died in an accident in 2009, I miss him very much! But I love car so much, so I build a car magazines website, you can see it blow, if you love cars like me, I wish you could become an author of my website and develop this website together, Thanks!

[2007DBR9]

As much as I like Top Gear, they are very biased against electric cars. As much as I won't give up a petrol / diesel powered car, electric cars do make a lot of sense.

It is a shame the Volt is getting bad press for what seems like a very suspicious incident, we need more cars like this.

[nerddason]

The Volt is too expensive and the Prius PHV will dominate it in sales as it is nearly identical in stats and costs about 7500 less than the Volt.

[Chris V.]

nerddason, on 25 March 2012 - 04:33 PM, said:

The Volt is too expensive and the Prius PHV will dominate it in sales as it is nearly identical in stats and costs about 7500 less than the Volt.

the Prius is just a gas hybrid with a larger battery pack, not a true EV with range extender like the Volt. The Prius also benefits from sharing it's chassis with the regular production Prius, and is not a one-off car. The Volt is simply a higher tech car by far. I could commute all week long on just electricicty in the Volt. The PHV Prius still would need gasoline to do that.

Your complaint is like saying an LED big screen TV is the same as a Plasma one, so why does it cost more than the plasma? Hell, even Plasmas cost vastly more than projectors just a few short years ago. New tech ALWAYS costs more. See what happens withthe next generation of the Voltec drivetrain, after it's put in more vehicles...

[Elite_Deforce]

I still don't understand how people rationalize hybrids.