“The Volt has always been safe to drive. Now, we will go the extra mile to ensure our customers’ peace of mind in the days and weeks following a severe crash,” Mary Barra, GM’s senior vice president of global product development, said in a statement.
GM noted that while the Volt’s potential battery problems have been identified by NHTSA, they have not occurred in real-world conditions.
Thursday’s announcement is the latest bump in the road for the Volt, which has suffered lagging sales. It comes about a week after Fisker Automotive recalled 239 electric vehicles because of a faulty battery component that could cause a fire.
GM said it will strengthen the vehicle to protect the battery against high-impact crashes and install a sensor to monitor battery coolant levels. NHTSA’s crash tests indicated that a coolant leak was responsible for the battery fires.