Because safety is such an important thing to be aware of when you're in the market for a new car, Ray Price Chevy is extremely thankful for organizations like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), that put new vehicles through rigorous tests and rank their performance during crash and rollover scenarios. And while we hope that not many drivers ever need to use the safety features that companies like Chevy implement into all of their vehicles, we're proud to say that Chevy boasts some of the safest vehicles on the road today.

Thanks to NHTSA, when a safety concern is raised about a particular vehicle, it is promptly investigated and corrected to further protect drivers and passengers. Earlier this year, officials were concerned about the potential fire hazard caused by leaking coolant in the battery pack of Chevy Volts that had been involved in a collision. Both NHTSA and Chevy began investigating the issue, and we're happy to say that the IIHS "Top Safety Pick" plug-in EV from Chevy is now safer than ever.

In a statement released by Chevrolet, the company confirmed that the vehicle and battery pack have undergone minor structural changes that will prevent damage to the battery in the event of an accident. The automaker also added a sensor in the battery reservoir to monitor coolant levels, (an alarm will sound if a leak is detected), as well as a tamper-resistant bracket on the top of the battery to prevent coolant overfill. "There are no changes to the Volt battery pack or cell chemistry as a result of these actions," Says Mary Barra, Senior VP of Global Product Development, GM, "We have tested the Volt's battery system for more than 285,000 hours, or 25 years, of operation. We're as confident as ever that the cell design is among the safest on the market."¹

Even better than reassurance from Chevrolet, NHTSA has also tested the new battery structure and whole-heartedly approves of the changes.  In a press release, officials say, "The results of the crash test showed no intrusion into the vehicle's 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 of battery intrusion."²

Not only will Chevrolet retrofit the many Volts already on the road, they've implemented these changes in the manufacturing processes. So, if you own a Volt, the automaker will be contacting you to upgrade your battery pack. And, if you're interested in learning more about owning the award-winning Volt, we invite you to stop into Ray Price Chevrolet in Mt Pocono to learn more about all of the safety innovations infused into the vehicle. Your safety is our top concern, so if you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us via our website or give us a call, a member of our team will be happy to assist you.

Sources:
^1,2http://media.gm.com/content/media/us/en/chevrolet/news.detail.html/content/Pages/news/us/en/2012/Jan/0105_volt
²http://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