Ethics Group Files FOIA on Chevy Volt Fires

National Legal & Policy Center ^ | December 7, 2011 | Peter Flaherty

[jazusamo]

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) today filed a formal request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for any and all communications with General Motors (GM).

The NHTSA is investigating three fires in the battery packs of GM's Chevy Volt following collision tests, but may have withheld information of this potential safety problem from the public for several months.

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. A November 25 NHTSA statement reads, in part:

NHTSA continues to believe that electric vehicles have incredible potential to save consumers money at the pump, help protect the environment, create jobs, and strengthen national security by reducing our dependence on oil.

It is debatable whether electric vehicles further any of these goals. This sounds more a like a White House political statement. In any case, they are policy questions to be resolved outside of the jurisdiction of the NHTSA.

Through this FOIA request, we hope to establish whether public disclosure of this investigation was delayed, and whether the public interest is currently being served.

Here is the FOIA request:

[jazusamo]

This FOIA request is due to the efforts of Mark Modica in his investigation of many dubious claims made by GM of the Chevy Volt.

Prior thread today on this subject by Mark Modica:

Congress Investigating NHTSA Chevy Volt Report Delay

[jazusamo]

Ping!

[Darksheare]

I’m wondering about the internal communications during that six month lag in reporting the Volt fires and then their plan to do ‘something’.

[jazusamo]

Exactly! I’d bet they were going nuts trying to figure out what to do after that original battery fire.

[Logical me]

Might as well forget this investigation. King Obama and his communists empire will not cooperate and will have falsified all documents. Even if discovery proves they hid the danger nothing will happen. All of the Federal Government is corrupt.

[Darksheare]

That they seemed surprised by it in the first place says they didn’t do proper testing of the battery pack.
That they spent six months also says they were looking into ‘alternate ideas’ such as shifting blame [like they did with that one housefire] and shifting liability.

[Army Air Corps]

Ping.

[Sunshine Sister]

You hit the nail on the head. This is the “fast and furious” scandal of the highway safety crowd. Nothing to see here. Move along.

[Mr. Lucky]

Brilliant analysis. No kidding.

[Secret Agent Man]

If the gunwalker scandal was phrased as “Fast and Furious”, the Chevy Volt scandal will be named “Crashed and Burning”.

[ZX12R]

If the gunwalker scandal was phrased as “Fast and Furious”, the Chevy Volt scandal will be named “Crashed and Burning”.

The electrocution and cremation-mobile.

[jazusamo]

Well said. They knew they had a problem because Volt sales were already pathetic and they were making claims the slow sales were temporary.

If the news of this battery fire got out then they’d really be in trouble. Obama and his GM CEO appointee Ackerman must have been frantic.

[Sunshine Sister]

Good one!

[Darksheare]

That nobody died because of this garbage design is a miracle.
At least, not that we know of yet.

[Darksheare]

I’d pay real money to see the internal emails about this, and how far back they go.

[Red Badger]

Where there’s smoke..........