Feds Probe Fire in Wrecked Chevy Volt

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants to know why a Chevy Volt caught fire in its garage.

The Volt had been purposely damaged in a side-impact crash test as part of routine safety testing.  After the crash, it was stored in a NHTSA garage in Wisconsin, where it caught fire three weeks later.

The fire poses new qustions about the safety of the lithium ion batteries used in the Volt and other hybrids and electrically-powered cars.

NHTSA initally downplayed the incident, saying there was no evidence the Volt was any more dangerous than any other car.  And General Motors sought to pin at least some of the blame on NHTSA, saying the battery had not been properly de-activated following the crash.

GM said it tried to replicate the incident but was unable to do so, and a GM spokesman insisted the Volt is safe.

"NHTSA does not believe electric vehicles are at a greater risk of fire than other vehicles," the agency said in a statement. "It is common sense that the different designs of electric vehicles will require different safety standards and precautions."

But the agency said it would conduct further tests, just to be sure.

Meanwhile, in a North Carolina garage, fire broke out while a Volt was being charged. Investigators said they were looking at the charging station, not at the Volt, as the possible cause of the fire.