Concerns over fire risk in electric car

The Chevy Volt. Photo / AP

General Motors is loaning vehicles to worried owners scared their electric cars might catch fire.

A government safety agency is investigating fires involving the Chevrolet Volt's lithium-ion battery packs following crash tests in the US, according to the Huffington Post.

The Volt tests have not raised concerns about the safety of other electric cars, the agency has said.

A Volt battery pack that was being monitored caught fire a week after it was hit in a side-impact crash test.

The agency said another battery that was crash-tested recently gave off smoke and sparks.

The latest fires are in addition to a battery fire at a test facility in Wisconsin back in June.

Although General Motors said the Chevrolet Volt is safe, the company will contacting owners of the more than 5,000 Volts sold in North America since December 2010 to reassure them.

It will also offer loaner cars to ensure that owners are satisfied and confident in their purchase.

"We don't think there's an immediate fire risk," said GM North American President Mark Reuss. "This is a post-crash activity."

- HERALD ONLINE