G-Wiz! UK Electric Cars Recalled for Fire Hazard
The London Evening Standard reports that GoinGreen, the UK distributor of the G-Wiz battery-powered car, is recalling the machine amid fears that an overheating battery charger can cause the cars to burst into flames. "The recall was undertaken as a precautionary measure following a single incident of failure," Managing director Keith Johnston assured the press. "No one was injured." The recalled involves 629 vehicles, about two-thirds of those sold to date. GoinGreen will replace the G-Wiz' heat-sensitive cutout switch and fit a new fire retardant cover. The recall re-focuses attention on the Indian-made machine's safety. "Government research found the G-Wiz failed the sort of crash test conventional family cars and 4x4s must pass to be allowed on the road. And in May, the motoring magazine Top Gear produced spectacular photographs of a G-Wiz disintegrating in a standard crash test." In case you're wondering how GoinGreen can sell the G-Wiz in a country where toasters must comply with safety regulations, the electric cars are officially classified as "quadricycles." In other words, they're "unconventional vehicles not intended for mainstream use." While G-Wiz' celebrity clients must be thrilled with that designation, Tesla's Elise-based Roadster and the Chevrolet Volt will presumably aim a bit higher. You know, eventually.
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I have an electric car out in my garage. Its a bright red Lamborghini convertible with beautiful black interior...okay, so it's 3' long and is designed to be driven by a toddler, but its charge lasts all day, it peels out with you goose it, and it is cheap. Tell me how many of those describe the G-Wiz. I'll wager they even have similar crash test results.