Garage fire claims Chevy Volt and homebuilt EV

[webby]

Garage fire claims Chevy Volt and homebuilt EV

No one was hurt – but two plug-in vehicles were destroyed – in a fire in a home in the Connecticut town of Barkhamsted last night. The cars were a brand-new 2011 Chevrolet Volt with just 2,000 miles on the odometer and a converted all-electric Suzuki Samurai that the homeowner, Storm Connors, converted himself years ago. At this early stage, it is impossible to tell if one or the other vehicles was the cause of the blaze – or if it was one of the charging systems or the garage's electrical system – but firemen who responded to the 911 call said that this is one angle that the investigators will look in to. Local news channel WTNH reports that Connors, "likes his cars too much to think having them charging in the garage started the fire." Another news channel, WFSB, says that, "fire officials suspect an electric hybrid car may have sparked" the blaze.

 

[KennyGS]

Yeah, he overloaded his circuit for sure. They require a 40 amp service, which by code means 10 gauge wire minimum. Most DIY electricians will assume 12 is enough.

This reminds me of when I first met my wife (months before we dated), she invited me to a party at her house. There was a garage at the back of the property where she parked her car, and stored other items. Before the party, she told me to park out back near her garage, which she described, because she lived in a neighborhood of other homes.

When I arrived, I could not find the garage, and circled a couple of times before finally parking somewhere else. I found her front door, and entered into a busy party, and eventually found her. She was very depressed, because she had cleaned out her wood stove earlier in the day, and placed the (what she thought were cold) ashes in a bag - in her garage. Eventually a few minutes later she looked out the back yard to see her garage fully engulfed in flames. She burned the entire building and a 2 year old Honda Accord (and many other items) to a crisp.

 

[webby]

yikes... so is that a car insurance claim, or a homeowners claim when that happens? You see the guy had 2 cars - if they were both charging on one circuit...I'm guessing even a 10gauge wouldn't be enough?

 

[KennyGS]

Yeah, they must each have their own dedicated 10 amp circuit.

I would also guess it to be a homeowner's claim - regardless.

If they determined that the circuits were incorrect, he may be on his own if he did the work, or have to hire an attorney to collect from a contractor.

 

[webby]

looks like the volt is burnt much more than the suzuki.

 

[webby]

Chevrolet Volt owners Storm and Dee Connors were reportedly woken up by the sound of fire alarms in their Barkhamsted, Connecticut home for the second time in a week. As you may recall, the Connors family escaped injury when a garage fire consumed both their new Volt and a home-converted electric Suzuki Samurai on April 14. Now, local news outlets are reporting that the remains of the Volt reignited while still in the charred remains of the garage. The vehicle was not plugged in at the time of the second burning.

Local authorities are currently investigating the source of the re-ignition, though some members of the media-at-large have been quick to single out the Volt as the cause of the first fire, even though fire investigators have yet to speak up with their findings.

General Motors, meanwhile, is sending its own experts to investigate both incidents. The automaker originally issued a statement urging the public to refrain from leaping to conclusions about the first fire, asking everyone to allow local authorities and the automaker's own engineers time to uncover the origin of the trouble.

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GM's Response
http://www.chevroletvoltage.com/index.php/Volt/let-the-experts-do-their-work.html
Updated: April 21, 2011, 4:00 p.m. EDT
We are more convinced than ever that the Volt didn’t cause the garage fire in Barkhamsted, Conn. Here’s why.

Our engineering experts investigated the scene of the fire and analyzed the Volt and its battery pack and charging equipment. After discussions with the local fire officials and the insurance investigators, our engineers are even more convinced that the fire did not originate with the Volt or in the vicinity where the Volt was charging.

Late yesterday, the fire marshal closed his investigation and has since turned it over to the insurance company and General Motors. We will continue investigating the Volt to determine if any other learnings are available from this incident.

We again extend our thoughts to the Connors family, who worked with GM and the fire marshal to gather necessary information for the investigation in the midst of their personal crisis. We’re happy they are safe and that’s what’s most important.

“My Volt was my very first new car purchase since 1963; I would like to get a second one," said homeowner Storm Connors.

Finally, we'd like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the Pleasant Valley Volunteer Fire Department and the investigators for their cooperation in this matter.”
Updated: April 18, 2011, 5:30 p.m. EDT
Our engineering experts have inspected the Chevrolet Volt severely damaged in a garage fire in Barkhamsted, CT. We believe the findings indicate the Volt was damaged by the fire, not the cause.

The garage and its contents, including the Volt and a hand-built Suzuki Samurai EV, were heavily damaged in last Thursday's fire.

While the Volt's battery pack sustained damage, it was not extensive enough or of the type that would suggest that it caused the fire. In addition, there is clear evidence based on moderate damage to the cordset and charging system that neither component caused the fire.

The vehicles had been left in the garage for investigators and insurers to review when a second incident occurred earlier today. Smoke was seen coming from the damaged Volt and the fire department responded quickly. We continue to support the department in its investigation, sending our experts back to Connecticut to continue working with fire marshals.

We've spent more than a decade developing the technology which went into Volt. As such, it has a wide range of active and passive safety systems to ensure our customers are protected.

The most important thing to remember is that everyone is safe and fire investigators are working diligently to determine the cause. We'll share more information as it becomes available.

 

[KennyGS]

Hmmmm. So the company that designed and builds the car have determined it wasn't the fault of that car.

Not an entirely shocking response... get it... shocking.

 

[webby]

shocking... should I post the audio clip again? hmmmm



It seems like the fire dept should have something to say by now

 

[webby]

placing this latest news into this thread -


Fed launching $8.75M study into fire risks from EV batteries


The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an extended investigation into any possible fire risk associated with the lithium-ion batteries in electric vehicles. The $8.75 million study will last through 2014 and will specifically focus on whether or not the cells can catch fire while being charged at home or when in an accident. Automotive News reports that the study was spurred by a recall initiated by computer maker Dell for potentially faulty laptop cells. In certain rare circumstances, the Sony-manufactured cells could overheat and cause a fire.

As Automotive News points out, most electric vehicle batteries are only in danger of overheating during an over-charge situation.

Despite the fact that the vast majority of hybrids on the road today use a nickel-metal hydride battery, the study will focus solely on the danger posed by lithium-ion technology. That's because those cells are forecasted to power up to 70 percent of all hybrids and EVs on the road within the next 10 years.

 

[spcdan]