Dec 8, 2011

GM, NHTSA Delayed Volt Warnings To Prop Up Sales

Lauren Weinstein excerpts the most interesting part of a BBC story about thesafety hazards associated with the Chevy Volt — specifically, the risk that its battery pack could catch fire after even a minor impact. While it might be unsurprising that GM was reluctant to shout out safety warnings that would dampen early sales of its much touted hybrid, according to the linked story the NHTSA was as well, and for the same reason: "Part of the reason for delaying the disclosure was the 'fragility of Volt sales' up until that point, according to Joan Claybrook, a former administrator at NHTSA."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.