Chevy Volt turns garage into a smoking fire pit.
In our rush to find alternatives to fossil fuels and our lust for energy saving devices we often find ourselves creating worse problems than the ones we started with. For instance, we ban Thomas Edison’s light bulb in favor of the compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) and later find out we are creating a new environmental threat in the process.
“Honey, we need a new light bulb in the den.”
“Well dear get the Hazmat suit on and go replace it.”
Not to mention the strange hue of light these new fangled bulbs emit. CFL’s: Making even the most expensive house look like a cheap motel.
And now this story from Barkhamsted Connecticut where a Chevy Volt is being blamed for burning down a families garage as the electric hybrid vehicle was being charged overnight in the couples garage. Lets face it the massive amount of electricity that must be used to recharge these vehicles is probably hell on old houses with old-fashioned wiring. In this case only a well placed firewall saved the family from losing their home as well as the garage. This will likely not be the only time something like this happens as more and more folks move to buy electric vehicles in an attempt to reduce their carbon footprint.
This single incident probably reversed all the possible positive effects on the environment that all the Chevy Volts ever sold (or will be sold) could have made. Just imagine all the black, thick, smoke that was sent into the atmosphere in this one event. And furthermore, while I certainly don’t have anything against new technologies I would rather spend a tad bit more on gas than save a few extra bucks at the pump yet spend it all (and then some) getting my garage rebuilt.
My gut-feel is this story will not get much traction in the media and eventually they will pin it on something other than the electric car so that the public will not be deterred from buying vehicles that they are pressuring us to buy.
The truth is most folks don’t want over priced, under performing electric vehicles, let alone the type that burst into flames while you sleep at night. But that certainly wont stop the marketing executives as well as the government from coercing us into buying them….
Chevy Volt: Great on gas, terrible on garages.
Chevy Volt: Saving our environment, ruining your garage.
Chevy Volt: Reducing our dependence on foreign oil and reducing our garage to a pile of ashes.
Chevy Volt: Shrinking our carbon footprint yet not the footprints you will leave running for the fire hose.
Chevy Volt: Helping you to live green and garage free since 2011.
Chevy Volt: Charges while you sleep and also catches your garage on fire.
Chevy Volt: Put a electric hybrid vehicle in your garage while you still have one.
Chevy Volt: The money you will save at the pump will help you to pay the deductible on your homeowners insurance.
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8,000 garages saved!!!
http://news.yahoo.com/ap-source-gm-call-back-8-000-chevy-160059632.html
Get ready for “Volt-Gate”. http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2011/12/chevrolet-volt-battery-issues-growing-safety-findings-may-have-been-suppressed.html
After reading this blog Obama said he would buy your Chevy Volt back.
I’ll bet this blog post inspired this federal action…
http://news.yahoo.com/u-opening-formal-probe-gm-volt-fire-risk-224601158.html
Doesn’t anyone understand that ALL the electricity needed to charge these underpowered, over-rated, OVERPRICED, government subsidized (yours and mine tax dollars), poor excuse for an automobile comes from coal burning power plants. Do all the go-green zombies think electricy just comes from thin air? Geessh talk about Michael Moore, Chris Mathews cool-aid drinkin fools!
Speaking of ridiculous… Amy do you realize how much of our/your money was given to General Motors????
What a ridiculous article. Appears to in be favor of those wealthy and no-tax-paying oil companies. Sure, lets all send more money to those top 1%.
Make sure you quarantine your Volt for several months if you happen to get into a fender bender. http://jalopnik.com/5858690/chevy-volt-crash-test-fire-explodes-into-federal-investigation
You people are aware that the Chevy Volt is a dual gas and electric vehicle? After that the full charge of the battery is used (approx 40 miles), a full tank of gas, running similar to a toyota hybrid, runs an additional 300 miles. I think getting from point A to point B shouldn’t be a problem in a Volt.
Hate it all you want but I tested one of these cars and they’re pretty amazing. As for fires, can’t shed any light on that topic.
A. You dont by electric cars for performance.
B. If someone wants something with good gas mileage and so they are not stuck on the side of the road when there electricity goes out than they should probably buy a prius. For the size and the money, even only with 134 hp how could you go wrong. Obama motors is a joke.
The 2012 Volt will come with onboard ABC fire extinguishers as
standard equipment.Optional Halon fire extiguishers will be available
as an upgrade.
If solar panels, windmills or electric cars really worked some young engineer would have jumped on that bandwagon years ago and become filthy rich. I hate to burst the “Big Green Bubble” but it is a very expensive joke. The government is spending billions of our desperately needed tax dollars on this boondoggle. I’m old enough to remember Jimmy Carter starting the Department of Energy to develop new technologies to wean Americans off of oil. Trillions have been spent and nothing new. Unless you count the government forcing this crap down our throats, at our expense. Just make a law: All vehicles must get 100 MPH. It doesn’t matter if it’s not possible, it’s the LAW. Feel free to re-join reality at any time.
Error correction
Chevy Volt 0-60 in 8.9 sec
1991 Ford Escort GT 0-60 mph 7.9 sec
Challenger T/A 340 cu in 0-60 mph 7 secs
Challenger 440 6.2 seconds
The Volt is slow, stupid and dangerous. It will be consigned to the dustbin of history like the Volkswagen Thing, the AMC Pacer and the Nissan Cube
Sorry for the total rant. The only rational electric car is a golf cart
Wait! Sorry…we don’t need the solid copper buss bars. We can use much smaller transmission lines and bring full strength 25,000 volt power to a substation in every neighborhood. Much lower current required. Still need to build the power plants. Individual old houses will still burn……think Jobs, Economic Stimulus, Urban Renewal by Fire.
From info available it takes 6 hours at roughly 16 amps 120v. Imagine at 5:30 pm in White Plains NY when Volt commuters get home and plug in say, 40,000 Chevy Volts (just a fraction of NYC commuters) a few fires every evening that start just before the daily Northeast corridor blackout.
On flat ground the Volt will go about 35 miles on electric alone. That is 35 minutes at 60 mph. And if your commute is 30 miles each way, you won’t have to use the combustion engine if you can plug in at work, yay!….but you will need to charge twice a day!!! now 12 hours 16 amps at 120V!!!
We will need to replace all of our local transmission lines with 2″ x 6″ solid copper buss bars If the Volt is a big hit; and also build many new power plants. Windmills and solar power are not consistent in output, but the drain will be; from 9a-3p when at work and from 6p to midnight when all the Volty’s get home.
CAUTION: At 120v charging – if you still have an old Federal Pacific panel in your house – you will be barbecue, just a matter of time. If you have 14 AWG wiring in your house (and your breaker doesn’t trip cuz some rocket scientist stuck a 20A in) you will also have a great chance to be toast with 120v charging
a few other misc facts:
1) 0-60 in 8 seconds..Like the Challenger above if the 70′ Dodge had a 2.2L Ford Escort motor instead of the factory V-8! LOL
2) the Chevy Volt is heavier than a Ford Windstar. And that is not from a heavy duty body to keep you safe. It is the heavy battery/motor(s). The inertia should ensure utter destruction in an accident. (don’t worry, I am sure they have government waivers for a modified crash test, since it is green and carbon footprint reducing)
3) If you live in hill or mountain country you must operate in Mountain mode or you won’t make it up a steep hill . In the end, if you drive in the Blue Ridge mountains you will probably get 10 miles range before your gas motor kicks in.
Hey Jason, sure, you can go 0-60 faster in a Volt than a gas guzzler, but for how far?
John, it might not even take cold weather for these electric cars to fail to start. http://blogs.wsj.com/drivers-seat/2011/04/18/nissan-to-fix-5300-leaf-electric-cars/
How are these (electric toys) going to perform in subzero weather? I can take a good guess they won’t start. Make sure you pack a warm blanket and a long extension cord.
The car caught fire again. http://www.wfsb.com/news/27586692/detail.html
I think the car WAS to blame for the destruction.
Idiot article written by a complete Fox-brained buffoon. The Volt is not believed to be the cause of the fire. Electric cars are not “under performing” vehicles. Have you driven one? I didn’t think so. I’d guarantee that I could go 0-60 faster in a Volt than you could in your gas guzzler. Check your facts at the door.
Although the case can certainly be made that combustion engine vehicles pose a similar threat to the life expectancy of your garage (gas is combustible after all), it’s HILARIOUS that enviro conscious people will never make up to the atmosphere for this one SNAFU.
I think I’d buy a hybrid, but an electric car? What happens when you run out of lightning on the highway? Get a REALLY long extension cord? You have no choice but to get towed home. And how much money are you paying in electricity for your under performing vehicle? It’s got to be somewhat cheaper than filling your BMW SUV with high octane, but still, you’ll never get the performance that I get out of my gas guzzler.
John, that never happens with my 1970 Dodge Challenger.
Wnen the line voltage drops due to a heavy load. the current goes up…. then heat, then a fire. The load could be electric heaters in another house.
You say tomato, I say tom-ate-oh.
The garage fire occured only 1 week after getting the Volt. The owner already has another electric car which he also charges in the same garage. Charging electric cars uses higher than normal currents seen in most domestic garages….charging two uses even more.
My money is on wiring which has not been uprated to accomodate the new higher load.