GM will loan free cars to Chevy Volt owners who have "fire anxiety"

GM may have designed the Chevrolet Volt to cancel out potential "range anxiety," but the company is responding to a new type of worry today: fear that the Volt's battery will catch fire. The problem? A Volt that had been crash tested in May caught fire three weeks after the crash conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. This was revealed in early November. The cause? A ruptured coolant line in the battery, which prompted a new safety investigation that was announced this past Friday. The solution? GM's just-announced free vehicle loaner program and more tests. Here are the preliminary details: Until the "resolution of the issue," any Volt owner who suffers from fire anxiety can get a free GM vehicle loan. Complete details of this "Volt owner satisfaction program" were not immediately available, but GM North America president Mark Reuss said in a statement that, "A vehicle loan program of this nature is well beyond the norm for a preliminary investigation, and it underlines our commitment to the vehicle and its owners. These steps are the right ones to take regardless of any immediate impact on our operations." On the investigation front, GM said it would set up a senior engineering team to "develop changes to eliminate concern of potential post-crash electrical fires and work with industry to ensure appropriate electric vehicle protocols were in place." As reasonable voices have pointed out recently, the situation that happened at NHTSA has not been replicated in the real world and is unlikely to happen to any Volts out in the wild. In fact, NHTSA's official statement said that "Chevy Volt owners whose vehicles have not been in a serious crash do not have reason for concern." Still, Reuss said that, "Our customers' peace of mind is too important to us for there to be any concern or any worry. This technology should inspire confidence and pride, not raise any concern or doubt. The question is about how to deal with the battery days and weeks after a severe crash, making it a matter of interest not just for the Volt, but for our industry as we continue to advance the pursuit of electric vehicles."