Members of the House Committee for Government Reform released a report on Wednesday, accusing the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), of trying to keep the Chevrolet Volt battery fire a secret. They say that the bailout of GM by the government creates business and political connections that could lead the NHTSA to sacrifice public safety during such investigations. They are accusing the administration of dragging their feet in opening the investigation and feel that the conclusion that the vehicles is “safe” was made hastily.
According to the NHTSA, the Chevy Volt never posed a highway fire hazard, because the problem can only be reproduced by severely damaging the Volt battery. They say that GM responded quickly to the problem by developing steps to discharge the battery after the vehicle has been in an accident. The NHTSA added, that the technology is relatively new for consumers and that the agency is still developing protocols for dealing with battery powered vehicles.
