DETROIT - includes General Motors co of a package of proposed corrections for the Chevrolet Volt battery pack, the engineers believe do away with the risk of fire, days after a crash triggered would, said two people with knowledge of the situation on Tuesday.
Taking into account that proposed repairs would mean, laminating, 400-pound battery, strengthening the case about circuits in the Volt lithium-ion and better protect the cooling system leaks in a serious crash, said the sources.
GM acted quickly to concerns about the Volt plug to U.S. safety regulators a study on the fire risk of the plug-in hybrid battery last month opened.
A relatively fast repairs could be completed for owners at GM dealers could the automaker the costs and reputation damage a more security remind save.
GM has to use the V symbol of his determination, a leading position in the fuel consumption and green technology. The Volt has a gas powered 1, 4-liter engine offering additional selection, after it about 40 miles to the battery.
Engineers at the No. 1 U.S. automakers are expected to management by the end of the week on which a relatively low-cost way more than 6,000 volts now on U.S. roads could be fix, said to update one of the sources.
The cost for the update, taking into account could be less than $ 9 million for CTM - or about $1,000 per volt, overall, the sources said. Could, that hit work for repairs dealer, but when U.S. regulators for a stronger solution, you said the sources, could increase the costs.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a checkpoint of the Volt battery pack last month. NHTSA, which proposed security can check updates from automakers, had no immediate comment.
GM spokesman Rob Peterson said that engineers have worked is still the problem. He said "To the best of my knowledge, we do not discuss exact solutions at this point".
A lithium-ion battery pack in a volt, by a crash test in fire was set up in Wisconsin caught three weeks later in a NHTSA test.
In laboratory tests by U.S. regulators end of November that sparks a second Volt Pack began to smoke and to shake off during a third battery a week after a simulated crash caught fire.
GM executives said, the Volt battery pack would be safe during and immediately after any crash and that problems were not relating to any error in South Korea's LG Chem Ltd. supplied battery cells
GM says Volt is safe and has crashed early buyers to calm with which she approach has called a "white glove".
The automaker offered loaner cars, more than 6,000 volt owners during the security investigation further.
GM Chief Dan Akerson ante days later by all Volt swear again buy, if consumer concerns, caused by an unusual if not unprecedented step.
Akerson told of Reuters last week that the US-based automaker to redesign the Volt battery might need. GM officials have said that the technical updates probably far behind of a clean slate redesign for the vehicle most expensive component would cease.
An influential insurance group insurance Institute for highway safety, said on Monday it had no plans, the Volt their classification of "five-star" security strips. Exactly by consumers are the ratings of the Group observed and often automaker marketing uses.
NHTSA has also no plans, the Volt "five-star" safety rating, to change another important resource for consumers.
The plug-in hybrid will cost $40,000 from a federal tax credit of $7,500. Due to the high development cost of the Volt and low volume of sales to GM vehicle lose money.
The Obama administration was a strong proponent of electric vehicles like the Volt and set a goal of getting one million battery-powered vehicles on the road by the year 2015.
Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters.
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