Ethics Group Says Government Suppressed Chevrolet Volt Evidence
The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), seeking:
“All records, documents, internal and external documentations between the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and General Motors between June 1, 2009 and December 1, 2011. These requested records shall include communication regarding the Chevrolet Volt, also known as the Chevy Volt.”
That’s a lot of paper if the request will be granted.
The NHTSA is investigating three fires in the battery packs of GM’s Chevy Volt following collision tests. The NLPC alleges that the NHTSA “may have withheld information of this potential safety problem from the public for several months.”
Says a NLPC statement:
“The United States government still owns a significant stake in GM. There’s an obvious conflict of interest in a government agency investigating a government-owned company. Moreover, the NHTSA cannot be impartial because it has become a cheerleader for electric vehicles.”
According to its website, the “NLPC promotes ethics in public life through research, investigation, education and legal action.”
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Oh, for crying out loud. The only thing the NHTSA has to hide is its own sloppy handling of the crash vehicles. They can claim GM didn't tell them they had to drain the battery after a crash the first time, but by then they should have known enough to drain the "tank" after the second and third crash tests. If they need a manufacturer to tell them what to do after their safety tests, how good can their safety testing be?
Sounds like Chevy needs to make more gas station commercials for the Volt. (Guy 1)"Hey, this is a Volt right?" (Volt driver)"Yes." (Guy 1)"Yeah, these blow up in crash." (Volt driver)[sigh] "No. No, they don't." (Guy 1) "That's what I read at the bottom of the screen on the news." (Volt driver)"Ugh, it's never caught fire in a crash. That happened-" (Guy 2)"Hey. Be careful of that thing. It's got them newfangled batteries that catch fire." (Narrator)"THE CHEVY VOLT. WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO RUN A CAR COMPANY."
The anti-hysteria article, but where is the fun in that... http://blog.caranddriver.com/chevy-volt-hysteria-we%e2%80%99re-all-going-to-die-or-an-application-of-facts-and-rationality-to-flaming-batteries-and-melting-chargers/#more-71630
Update: IIHS has a different view: http://tinyurl.com/7tcnslw