Updated & Depowered — GM announces Chevy Volt battery fix/update
Even greater protection on the way.
No need to depower the Volt after a crash?
Following a severe crash in a Chevy Volt today, GM sends a team to depower the Volt involved in the crash to prevent the possibility of a fire days or even weeks after the crash, much like a gasoline car is emptied of gasoline after a severe crash. Likewise, GM is able to glean valuable information to be used in future Volt builds.
However, the need to depower severely damaged Volts could soon be minimized as GM has announced a fix for this battery issue.
Or, should depowering always be required after a severe crash in any battery-powered vehicle? Read more…
Categories: Buying plug-ins, Chevy Volt, Plug-in Vehicles, Recalls, safety Tags: Chevy Volt
Civic hybrid battery fix keeps haunting Honda
Time to fix Honda's hybrid image.
How bad is Honda’s battery problem?
Are Honda Civic hybrids unreliable because of bad battery packs? That’s the focus of some class action lawsuits against the automaker. And, while Honda has tried to remedy this problem with a software upgrade, for many the software upgrade has only made the performance of their hybrid cars even worse.
So, how serious is this problem? Should Honda hybrids be avoided by new car buyers? Read more…
Categories: Buying Hybrids, Honda Civic Hybrid, Hybrid Cars, MIsc., Recalls Tags: Honda Civic Hybrid, Hybrid Cars
Toyota Highlander hybrid engines stalling? NHTSA studying
I've stalled and I can't restart
31 incidents in the last year
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has opened an investigation into engine stall in some 44,000 Toyota Highlander hybrids. According to the NHTSA 32 complaints have been filed so far, 31 of them in just the last year.
In the complaints, drivers allege that their Highlander hybrids have stalled at speeds of 40 mph or more, and in some cases, would not restart. No injuries have been reported.
Source: DetroitNews
Categories: Hybrid Cars, MIsc., Recalls, Toyota Highlander hybrid Tags: Hybrid Cars, Recalls, Toyota Highlander hybrid
Government – No link between electronics and sudden acceleration in Toyota vehicles
No more out of control Prius hybrids expected?
Safe to drive a Toyota again
After a 10 month investigation, the US government has found no link between Toyota’s electronic throttles and sudden acceleration. Instead, the problems associated with sudden acceleration – when not driver error – have been linked to lose floor mats and sticky accelerator pedals due to a faulty part.
“There is no electronic-based cause for unintended high-speed acceleration in Toyotas,” U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement.
Source: Reuters
Categories: Hybrid Cars, MIsc., Recalls, Toyota A-BAT hybrid, Toyota Auris hybrid, Toyota Camry hybrid, Toyota Highlander hybrid, Toyota Prius, Toyota Prius Alpha, Toyota Prius C, Toyota Prius V, Toyota Yaris hybrid, safety Tags: safety, toyota
Honda Civic hybrid software fix needs fixing
Are hybrids still a Honda weak spot?
Honda fans are among the most loyal, but I wonder if that includes Honda hybrid owners?
It’s bad enough that Consumer Reports has slammed both the Honda Insight and CR-Z hybrids, but the battery pack software upgrade that is required for the Honda Civic hybrid is still angering many Honda hybrid owners. Just ask Jim. Read more…
Categories: Fuel Economy, Honda Civic Hybrid, Hybrid Cars, MIsc., Recalls Tags: Honda Civic Hybrid, Hybrid Cars
Relearning to drive a Honda Civic hybrid
You can't handle a software upgrade
It’s Civic hybrid drivers, not the car?
Recently Honda provided a battery software upgrade for 2006 – 2008 Civic hybrids to help prevent battery packs from failing prematurely. Unfortunately, some have claimed that fuel efficiency has consequently declined.
But is the real problem Civic hybrid drivers? Read more…
Categories: Honda Civic Hybrid, Hybrid Cars, MIsc., Recalls Tags: Honda Civic Hybrid, Hybrid Cars
Competition versus protectionism: Destroying Toyota to save GM
Getting too cozy?
Is the White House “too cozy” with GM?
As a Toyota hybrid owner, I was naturally very concerned when the Toyota recall scandal erupted. Yet, quite quickly, I began to have serious doubts about the veracity of the claims being made.
Something – actually a lot of things - just didn’t feel right.
For instance, if Toyota had some major glitch in their vehicles for many years, why wasn’t the data more supportive of this great danger, a danger that prompted the Secretary of Transportation to tell the public that he wouldn’t let his family drive in a Toyota? Read more…
Intended acceleration: Toyota hybrids were always safe?
A real danger or just a distraction?
Did the government assume too much?
“The Department of Transportation has analyzed a sampling of dozens of black boxes in Toyota vehicles involved in accidents blamed on unintended acceleration, finding the throttles were open and the brakes were not engaged,” the Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.
Consequently, it seems – at least thus far – that driver error has been the root of at least much of the unintended acceleration scandal that has plagued Toyota for many months now. Ironically, the findings are similar to the government’s conclusions in 1989’s Audi 5000 study. Read more…
Categories: Hybrid Cars, MIsc., Recalls, Toyota Camry hybrid, Toyota Highlander hybrid, Toyota Prius, safety Tags: Hybrid Cars, toyota
Lexus HS 250h hybrid: Toyota’s latest recall
Toyota's latest recall victim
Voluntary recall on luxury hybrid
Lexus is voluntarily recalling the Lexus HS 250h hybrid to address a gas spillage problem following a crash scenario created by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that resulted in a fuel spill greater than the US standard.
Categories: Hybrid Cars, Lexus HS 250h hybrid, MIsc., Recalls, safety Tags: Hybrid Cars, lexus hs 250h hybrid, Recalls, safety
