Chevy Volt caused garage fire? Let’s hold on
Did the Volt cause a garage fire?
Let’s wait for the evidence, folks
Wow. Did some of my friends come out of the woodwork in the last 24 hours. “Did you hear? The Chevy Volt caused a house to burn down.”
The Volt, or faulty wiring, I inquired.
For now the fire department in Barkhamstedis, Connecticut is investigating the cause of the fire and the Volt is a suspect. However, let’s not pull the plug on plug-in vehicles just yet.
Without doubt, there are certain to be some of these kinds of instances. For example, if the family in question had put a new electric dryer in the garage, perhaps that would have also resulted in a fire. Quite simply, the culprit could be old or just bad electrical wiring, and that’s why it’s important to have your electrical system inspected if you plan to buy a plug-in vehicle.
And let’s not forget that when great changes happen, unexpected things also happen. The Toyota Prius had glitches. Honda’s old hybrids had glitches. The Nissan Leaf has had restart issues. Plug-in vehicles are going to cause some unexpected problems, but each will be learned from and the potential mitigated.
Nevertheless, it is possible this Volt had nothing to do with this fire.
I’m not sure Joe. I didn’t agree with the Toyota coverage and was unsure about posting this story. If GM had already sold several hundred thousand Volts, I wouldn’t have posted this story, despite the fact it had become mainstream news on many other sites.
However, since only about a 1000 Volts have gone into private ownership – not including fleets – it couldn’t be ignored in my opinion.
Ultimately, the most important take away is that plug-ins require a thorough inspection of a home’s electrical system. PERIOD. Some day, perhaps plug-ins will themselves diagnose a home’s electrical system, until then, owning a plug-in isn’t as simple as just plugging it in.
Do it then forthetruth. Let’s see what you got. Prove me “untruthful” about ANY statement. Just one. I’ll give you bonus credits for 2 or 3.
Likewise, “negative” isn’t untruthful. Ignorance, on the other hand, is the inability to deal with the truth.
usbseawolf2000 .. series means that there is no drive train power from the ICE.
a powerplant that allow BOTH the ICE and the electric to drive the powertrain is by definition a parallel – EVEN if – at some point only the electric or only the ICE is driving it.
It’s not what it can do in a given scenario – it’s what it cannot do – ever and a Volt could never drive the car from the ICE but the Prius could do either but is never restricted to only one mode – that’s parallel.
LarryG, Prius is both parallel and series. It depends on which way the power is split. It was done without a single clutch.
Doesnt anyone get the impression that if this was a toyota that this would be all over the front page? I’ts the lamestream media protecting their own!
I’ve got it! I’ve got the story right here.
It was in an article titled “Lutz goez Nutz” -
Apparently, in the middle of the night, Bob Lutz broke into this family’s garage dressed like a giant catalytic converter. He sprayed re-processed jatropha seed oil all over the garage and then took a dump on the hood of the Volt. He claimed he was “feelin’ green.” He then lit the fire and skipped down the neighborhood street, flashing onlookers and shouting, “I just won the SuperBowl and I’m heading to DisneyLand,…in China! Hahahahahahahahaha!!!!”
Well, that’s what it said…
I think the primary contribution of the Volt, at least for me, is it showed that a hybrid did not need to be a parallel hybrid and that it could be a series hybrid.
That really does help promote the concept of hybrids in general because it moves the dialog from self-proclaimed “enthusiasts” into the general public consciousness.
And like it are not – there are still more than a few Americans who view Toyota cars as rice-burners and GM as “All American”.
so GM made a statement and they made an important one in my mind because they did not do a “me too” hybrid.
They’re demonstrating innovation and they are challenging the status quo.
Give them credit for that.
Are they going to fall on their sword for hybrid technology?
Is Toyota?
Nope.
The vast, vast majority of cars that Toyota sells are not hybrids.
They are considered the de factor leader for hybrid technology but not even Toyota is about to offer ONLY hybrids and no non-hybrids either – not here – not anywhere.
Toyota still makes 99% ICE-only vehicles worldwide.
What GM showed was that they could produce their own type of hybrid instead of copying Toyota’s configuration and they showed that Toyota’s parallel approach – may not be the only correct approach.
these are substantial and credible contributions.
Dahc,
I think “all” the manufacturers should be doing more.
Toyota is no saint either. Toyota trucks are just as big as GM or Ford.
Yes. They should all be doing more, but compared to what they were doing 5 years ago, I’m thankful the manufacturers are at least doing “something”.
As far as the status quo, the US consumers share in the blame with the manufacturers. All these manufacturers make more efficient vehicles that they sell outside the US…….
Smurf-
“The Volt is still is a great concept, made with current technology, and will make those who can afford it very happy.”
I agree 100 percent with that statement. I’d love to have a Volt. I’ve never called the Volt a bad concept. Considering the limitations of battery technologies and the need to act against foreign oil dependence, the Volt is the greatest concept out there.
My problem with the Volt really isn’t about the Volt, it’s about GM. GM knew pretty early on this car wasn’t going to be mainstream game changer for many years, probably about a decade or so. That wasn’t even the point of the Volt – that’s kind of sad in my opinion. Not the Volt part, GM’s attitude part. Why can’t GM do more, as I responded to EI? If GM were America’s CAFE leader and they rolled out the Volt, I don’t think anyone would call it marketing ploy, which I don’t believe it is, but there is no doubt that green marketing was also a key focus.
That doesn’t mean I don’t advocate that no one should buy a Volt. If you can make a Volt purchase happen, I say it’s one of the most noble new car purchase you can make, and I promise I’ll do more to advocate for that. You’re right, my ranting isn’t accomplishing anything anyway.
And just for any that might be trolling this post or these comments hoping for a I hate the Volt rant. I say do America a favor and BUY A VOLT!
Art-
We just don’t know yet. One article quotes one fire official saying they suspect the Volt could have caused the fire. Another firefighter in another article i saw this weekend said he didn’t think the Volt was a cause.
Considering the fact that this guy was a do-it-yourselfer, my gut says its the wiring. Sure an EV can contribute to a fire if there is bad wiring, but bad wiring is the problem, not the Volt.
Nevertheless, I’m sure the fire department will be able to provide a much better answer soon.
EI-
I don’t disagree. But don’t you think, for instance, that GM could have done far more to increase their fleet fuel economy while building the Volt, for instance? At one time GM claimed any major changes to their vehicle line were unnecessary because fuel cells would change everything. Even after 9/11 they launched their biggest most gas-guzzling lineup of SUVs ever.
Then when the Prius started resonating, they claimed the BAS hybrid would be better than the Prius – after they sold the battery technology powering the Prius. Then it was the dual mode hybrid. Then it was the Volt.
I’m not against the Volt, I’m against the fact that more isn’t being done that could be done. If I’m attacking the Volt, I’m attacking it as a marketing and PR tool, not as a consumer choice. Why is Toyota’s fleet fuel economy so much better than GM’s? Dont’ worry, we have the Volt. Why has GM’s fleet fuel economy been so dependent upon flex-fuel tax credits. Don’t worry we have the Volt. That’s just not corporate leadership in my opinion. The Volt just isn’t a good enough excuse, especially when a key battery breakthrough could make range anxiety irrelevant.
To me GM has had a policy of extending the status quo as long as possible. While the Volt is a great vehicle, particularly based on the current limitations of battery technologies, it has also been a key marketing tool for maintaining the status quo – something Bob Lutz admitted was part of its role. He even acknowledged that to David Letterman.
Again, can’t more be done in the interim? Does the Volt absolve GM for not being a fleet fuel economy leader? Again, I’m not at all against the Volt, I’m against the idea that GM has been or is doing enough and that GM uses the Volt to play the media into believing they are doing enough when it’s obvious they are not, at least in my opinion.
The story I read says there was a homeowner self converted Suzuki Samari electric vehicle also in the garage. So was it the GM or the Suzuki, or bad wiring by the homeowner?
Dahc – Change takes time. Like Smurfs examples (PC, cell phones, etc.) It’s not the first or second generation that makes the difference. Yes it’s going to take decades for the change to take place… Big deal. Unless you are a proponent of some end-of-the word scenario, the change will come. And it will come faster for some than others because they are early adopters.
Dahc,
You can rant all you want, but it won’t bring these products to market any sooner.
After 35 years of waiting for hydrogen, a few articles about scientific discoveries is not going to get me excited.
I read about new Solar technology that would cost 1/10th the cost to produce nearly 10 years ago. Where are those products?
Advancements in technology with bring us the EV’s and fuel cell vehicles we seek. Just not anytime soon….
What makes the Volt unique is that is was basically made with off the shelf technology. Chevy built a car with “today’s” technology, not some “pie in the sky” technology that hasn’t been developed yet.
I’m sorry that Chevy Volt 1.0 didn’t meet your standard of being priced the same as a chevy Cobalt so that every American could afford it. The Volt is still is a great concept, made with current technology, and will make those who can afford it very happy.
So what’s the energy equivalent of current lithium technologies versus gasoline, smurf? what’s the potential trajectory?
according to every bit of science i’e seen, it’s not good. basically, you might be able to get a 70 mpg pure electric car to be cost-effective compared to a gas vehicle in a generation or two if all goes well, but we’re talking 70 miles of range versus 400. are consumers really going to go for that?
i wish they would, but i’m trying to be realistic.
likewise, if a breakthrough in lithium technologies occurs, don’t you think its going to come from the same kind of laboratory also doing the latest fuel cell research?
besides, getting three percent of Americans to plug-in does not make an energy policy, especially when that three percent can only be achieved with $7500 tax credits for consumers and even more tax benefits for automakers.
nevertheless, according to GM’s numbers based on 2007 fuel cell science, the economics of fuel cell vehicles – assuming 1 mil fuel cell vehicles per year and a $15 billion natural gas-to-hydrogen infrastructure, would have put fuel cell vehicles on par with conventional vehicles in terms of overall costs – and that was before the big natural gas shale developments. maybe GM was full of shit. but why are their numbers full of shit on fuel cells but on the volt?
additionally, fuel cell technologies, in the real world, such as in the latest MB fuel cell vehicle, have advanced significantly since those 2007 vehicles. the latest fuel cell vehicles – not in the lab, but in the real world – have cut their plutonium down to almost the same as a conventional car – that’s 1/4 of total fuel cell costs. next gen fuel cell vehicles will use even less than a conventional car. that’s not laboratory science fiction. that’s already in the works.
ironically, that same 1 million vehicles per year sales number – per automaker – is the same number that Ford recently claimed would be required to make plug-in vehicles profitable. is ford full of shit?
moreover, why, for instance, doesn’t Obama’s EPA include plug-ins as a significant part of their 2025 CAFE capabilities? that’s almost 15 years from now, yet plug-ins are still expected to be a niche technology still in 2025? Seriously, check it out. 2025 CAFE capabilities are being based mostly off improvements in ICE engines and hybrid vehicles. that’s not me speculating. that’s fact. The EPA isn’t betting on plug-ins to make a huge impact on CAFE capabilites by 2025 – nor is GM by the way.
nevertheless, if plug-ins defy the odds, from where will the breakthroughs come? None of them will come from academia?
additionally, many of these breakthroughs are not redefining fuel cells in their entirety, for instance, they are only redefining the catalysts – the same kinds of catalysts that battery researchers are trying to redefine in GM’s labs and in university labs to reduce costs. these catalysts are largely the key to lithium batteries, fuel cells, and hydrogen production.
the location of the breakthroughs needed for both fuel cells and batteries are happening in the same types of conditions.
Damn iPad spell checker..
It was waah waah waah…..
Wash wash wash….
So version one of the Volt costs more than you hoped.
If we used that same philosophy To measure other products we would not be using
Personal computers
Cell phones
HDTV
satellite TV
Microsoft Windows
Hybrid vehicles – Yes. The first hybrid was overpriced due to the cost of the technology too…
Give me a break Dahc….
You lost me there Paris.
So, if someone drives a hybrid, or plug-in, that enables them to largely no longer need foreign oil, they are actually hurting the troops in the Middle East stationed there to protect foreign oil? Why doesn’t that make sense to me?
We should privatize government so it won’t subsidize cars like the Volt which don’t support the troops. If we drive normal cars, soldiers won’t feel we are turning our backs on them. They fight so we can have self respect behind the wheel. Only a coward runs away from the fight and hides his head in a hybrid.
Larry,
So, are you’re saying this isn’t news?
I openly admit that I was a GM hater before the Volt – long before the Volt. Look back over my log files before the Volt was even a concept and I showed GM NO LOVE before the Volt. That’s simply a fact. Google, hybridcarblog, prius and bob lutz and 2004, 5 and 6. I honestly believe the record speaks for itself.
Nevertheless, with the Volt, however, I gave GM a chance. I wanted to believe in GM. I really did. Ask long time Hybridcarblog contributers like Noz or KP how much I initially supported the Volt. They called me crazy and ridiculed me regularly for at least a few years for my Volt support – as did many others. Again, that is a fact.
Inevitably, I met with every key Volt engineer and many GM employees and I saw that they believed in what they were doing. Thus, I really began to believe in GM, or at least to give GM the benefit of the doubt. Most of those key engineers are now gone. Coincidence? Maybe. But, I still believe in GM workers and engineers. What I haven’t been able to believe in is GM’s corporate board.
In my opinion the science around the Volt speaks for itself in terms of cost-effectiveness, and in terms of real world capabilities towards fighting US foreign oil dependence today, not sometime in the 2020’s.
Likewise, check my Ford opinions in those early years. They were just as bad as my GM criticisms. So, why am I not hoping for a Ford failure as well? Because the science indicates Ford is on a better path.
These days, Larry, I’m following the science. PERIOD. Show me the science that says I’m wrong about the Volt.
Nevertheless, I don’t believe the Volt had anything to do with this starting this fire. ANYTHING.
Dach – you’re a funny guy. It’s so crystal clear that you are hoping for a GM Volt disaster.
Haven’t we had for years… car fires from defective ignitions… and the like?
a simple GOOGLE keyword search will show that car fires are not that rare… right?
but if it turns out that Volts catch on fire.. that opens up all kinds of “possibilities” about GM and it’s Volt?
ha ha ha